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Response shift effects on measuring post-operative quality of life among breast cancer patients: a multicenter cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

To characterize response shift effects in patients with breast cancer (BC).

Methods

The QLQ-C30, BR23, and EurQOL-EQ-5D were assessed at baseline and at the end of the first hospitalization. We used the then-test approach to characterize changes in internal standards by calculating the mean difference between the then-test (retrospective measure) and pre-test baseline QoL assessments. The Ideal Scale Approach was also used to assess changes in standards by comparing health and QoL expectancies between baseline and the end of the first hospitalization. Successive Comparison Approach was used to assess changes in values through the longitudinal assessment of the relative importance of EuroQOL dimensions.

Results

The results of this study showed that recalibration RS effects occurred early after the first hospitalization for 6/15 dimensions of QLQ-C30 (emotional, cognitive, fatigue, insomnia, appetite loss, diarrhea) and 2/8 of BR-23 (future perspective, systemic therapy side effects). Moreover, health and QoL expectancies changed between the baseline and the end of the first hospitalization, and changes in values were seen for the self-care and usual activities dimensions of the EuroQOL-EQ-5D.

Conclusions

The occurrence of RS early after the first hospitalization suggests that it needs to be taken into account to interpret QoL changes in BC.

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Abbreviations

AJCC:

American Joint Committee on Cancer

QoL:

Quality of life

BC:

Breast cancer

RS:

Response shift

MD:

Mean difference

SD:

Standard deviation

VAS:

Visual analog scale

S :

Stabilization

E :

Evolution

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Acknowledgments

We thank Erwan PETIT, Olivera BUIREY, and Philippe BATAILLARD for collecting the data and Philip BASTABLE for correcting the manuscript. This work was supported by a grant from the “Institut National du Cancer.” The study sponsor had no role in the conception, the design of the study, as well as, in the data acquisition and analysis and in the manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to T. S. Dabakuyo.

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Dabakuyo, T.S., Guillemin, F., Conroy, T. et al. Response shift effects on measuring post-operative quality of life among breast cancer patients: a multicenter cohort study. Qual Life Res 22, 1–11 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0135-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0135-5

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