Breast Cancer (update of QLQ-BR23)
Project summary
The standard therapy for breast cancer has changed. New therapies have brought new side effects and different impacts on Quality of Life not sufficiently covered by the QLQ-BR23, which was developed in 1996.
In Phase 1-3 the QLQ-BR23 module was updated and 22 items were added, resulting in a new 45 item module: the QLQ-BR45.
The aim of phase 4 was to test the psychometric properties and the validity of the EORTC QLQ-BR45 in conjunction with the QLQ-C30 in female patients diagnosed with breast cancer at different stages of the disease and with different therapy options. During the validation process three items were removed, resulting in the final validated module: the QLQ-BR42.
Important note:
At the end of Phase 3, this module contained 45 items and it was consequently named QLQ-BR45.
During the Phase 4 validation process, three items were removed. The final Phase 4 validated module is consequently named QLQ-BR42.
Achievements
Current status: validated
EORTC-QLQ BR-42 translated into 72 languages
For patients
The QLQ-BR42 is a more recent, updated version of the QLQ-BR23, and it should be used instead of the old version.
Changes and advances are constantly being made in cancer research. Consequently, a module may need to be updated, to ensure that it addresses key QoL issues relevant to current treatments. This was the reason to update the QLQ-BR23.
Publications
Paper of phase 1 – 3 published in Annals of oncology (An international update of the EORTC questionnaire for assessing quality of life in breast cancer patients: EORTC QLQ-BR45, Bjelic-Radisic et al. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2019.10.027)