The Reliability and Validity of Quality of Life Questionnaire Upper Limb Lymphedema (ULL-27) Turkish Patient With Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (LYMQOL) in German-Speaking Patients with Upper Limb Lymphedema

Objectives: The LYMQOL is the most frequently translated, validated, objective tool for assessing Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in individuals with upper limb lymphedema (ULL). There have been adaptations and validations in a number of different countries. While a German version of LYMQOL Leg for lower limb lymphedema is available, a validated translation of LYMQOL Arm to German is lacking. We aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaption and translation according to ISPOR principles. Methods: Patients suffering from ULL from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (n = 52) were questioned twice using the translated LYMQOL Arm, SF-36, and an evaluation questionnaire. The assessment of the content validity and face validity proved this version of LYMQOL Arm to be acceptable for interviewing German-speaking patients with ULL in Germany. Results: Comparison of LYMQOL Arm and SF-36 demonstrated good construct validity. Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.66-0.73). Cronbach's alpha values varied between 0.79 and 0.89 in both interviews, indicating good internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed a cumulative variance of 59.5% for the four domains of the questionnaire. Conclusion: There was no significant association between lymphedema stage and LYMQOL Arm score. This trial tested the appropriateness of the German version of the LYMQOL Arm for measuring HRQoL in German-speaking individuals with ULL.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of Upper Limb Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (ULL-27) in Italian Female Patients with Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Purpose: Lymphedema is one of the most recurrent problems reported by breast cancer survivors, which negatively affects quality of life (QoL). The Upper Limb Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (ULL-27) is a tool that assesses the QoL in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema. At present, an Italian adaptation does not exist. The aim of this study is to perform a preliminary cross-cultural validation of the Italian version of the ULL-27. Materials and Methods: A forward-backward translation and cross-cultural adaptation have been performed. One hundred twenty women with lymphedema were evaluated using the Italian version of the ULL-27. The mean age was 60.25 (±11.88) years, and mean body-mass index was 26.35 (5.13) kg/m². The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis with the ULL-27 to indicate convergent and external construct validity. Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis were used to assess the questionnaire's structure. Results: The internal consistency for the total score of the Italian ULL-27 was high (0.90). Content validity was good because items were understandable for all participants. The alpha coefficients for subscale scores were high. External construct validity was confirmed by expected correlations with comparator scales. However, the factor structure of ULL-27 does not seem to completely reflect the original scale. Conclusions: The Italian version of ULL-27 has good internal consistency and validity. It is a reliable tool for evaluating the QoL of these patients, but additional data should be collected to clarify the factorial structure and test-retest reliability of the scale.

Psychometric Properties of Quality of Life Questionnaires for Patients with Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Systematic Review

Backgrounds: Assessing quality of life (QoL) using a well-developed and validated questionnaire is an essential part of a breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) treatment. However, a QoL questionnaire with the best psychometric properties is so far unknown. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the questionnaires measuring the QoL of patients with BCRL. Methods: A thorough search was performed to identify published studies in electronic databases such as Medline (via Ovid), EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, on 8 February 2022, by using search terms as follows: ‘quality of life’; ‘breast cancer’; ‘upper limb’; ‘lymphedema’; ‘questionnaire’; and ‘measurement properties.’ Two reviewers conducted article selection, data extraction, and quality assessment independently. The third reviewer helped solve any possible disagreements between the two reviewers. The COSMIN checklist and manual were used to assess the quality of included studies. Results: A total of nineteen articles with nine questionnaires were included and assessed using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. Most studies only assessed content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. Lymph-ICF-UL showed the most ‘sufficient’ and ‘high’ quality of evidence ratings for its measurement properties. Conclusion: The most appropriate questionnaire for use based on our assessment is Lymph-ICF-UL.

Quality of life improvement in breast cancer survivors affected by upper limb lymphedema through a novel multiperspective physical activity methodology: a monocentric pilot study

PURPOSE

Chronic lymphedema causes psychophysical sequelae jeopardizing quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer (BC) survivors, and lack of effective therapies represents a major challenge for healthcare professionals. Structured adapted physical activity (APA) may represent an effective strategy to attenuate cancer treatment-related impairments and improve QoL. Here, we describe the effects of a specific APA intervention based on a novel multiperspective methodology in counteracting lymphedema-related morphofunctional alterations and improving QoL of BC survivors.

METHODS

BC survivors with chronic moderate/severe lymphedema attending the Cancer Rehabilitation Center in Florence were assessed before and after 8-week APA. The protocol consisted of both APA specialist-supervised and self-leaded sessions using a tailor-designed proprioceptive board. Body mass index, bioimpedance parameters, indirect upper limb volume measurement, and ultrasonography were performed. Wrist flexion/extension and hand strength functional tests were also executed. QoL, depression/anxiety and pain intensity were evaluated by ULL27, HADS, distress thermometer and NRS questionnaires, respectively.

RESULTS

Although bioimpedance, ultrasound and volumetric measures remained mostly unchanged, wrist mobility, pain perception, depression, and QoL were all significantly ameliorated after APA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that a multidisciplinary treatment approach involving APA professionals should be employed in the management of BC-related lymphedema to improve patient psychophysical outcomes and QoL.