Use of the lung cancer–specific Quality of Life Questionnaire EORTC QLQ‐LC13 in clinical trials: A systematic review of the literature 20 years after its development. Issue 24 (9th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Koller, Michael; Warncke, Sophie; Hjermstad, Marianne J.; Arraras, Juan; Pompili, Cecilia; Harle, Amelie; Johnson, Colin D.; Chie, Wei‐Chu; Schulz, Christian; Zeman, Florian; van Meerbeeck, Jan P.; Kuliś, Dagmara; Bottomley, Andrew
• Is Part Of: Cancer. Volume 121:Issue 24(2015)
• Page Start: 4300
• Page End: 4323
• Publication Date: 2015-10-09
• Subjects: clinical trials -- lung cancer -- outcome -- quality of life; Cancer -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Cytopathology -- Periodicals; 616.99405
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.29682
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-543X

Abstract

Abstract : The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Lung Cancer 13 (QLQ‐LC13) covers 13 typical symptoms of lung cancer patients and was the first module developed in conjunction with the EORTC core quality‐of‐life (QL) questionnaire. This review investigates how the module has been used and reported in cancer clinical trials in the 20 years since its publication. Thirty‐six databases were searched with a prespecified algorithm. This search plus an additional hand search generated 770 hits, 240 of which were clinical studies. Two raters extracted data using a coding scheme. Analyses focused on the randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Of the 240 clinical studies that were identified using the LC13, 109 (45%) were RCTs. More than half of the RCTs were phase 3 trials (n = 58). Twenty RCTs considered QL as the primary endpoint, and 68 considered it as a secondary endpoint. QL results were addressed in the results section of the article (n = 89) or in the abstract (n = 92); and, in half of the articles, QL results were presented in the form of tables (n = 53) or figures (n = 43). Furthermore, QL results had an impact on the evaluation of the therapy that could be clearly demonstrated in the 47 RCTs that yielded QL differences between treatment and control groups. The EORTC QLQ‐LC13 fulfilled its mission to be used as a standard instrument in lung cancer clinical trials. An update of the LC13 is underway to keep up with new therapeutic trends and to ensure optimized and relevant QL assessment in future trials. Cancer 2015;121:4300–23. © 2015 American Cancer Society . Abstract : The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Lung Cancer 13 fulfills its mission to be used as a standard instrument in cancer clinical trials on lung cancer patients. Twenty years after its development, an update of the Lung Cancer 13 questionnaire is underway to keep up with new therapeutic trends.