The number of long-term cancer survivors is growing rapidly. However, few tools exist to help professional caregivers and researchers evaluate survivors' health-related quality of life. The Impact of Cancer version 2 (IOCv2) questionnaire measures the long-term psychosocial impact of cancer.

Catherine Crespi, Ph.D., and Patricia Ganz, M.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues refined and validated the Impact of Cancer scale using responses from 1,188 disease-free breast cancer survivors, 5-10 years after their initial diagnosis. Their work was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The IOCv2 showed consistent results with a more generic health questionnaire as well as a tool developed specifically for breast cancer survivors. Patterns of association between IOCv2 scale scores and demographic, medical, and treatment characteristics indicate that the scale is valuable and well-constructed. The IOCv2 scale covers four areas, including: positive impacts, negative impacts, employment concerns, and relationship concerns.

"This instrument is designed to measure impacts of cancer in long-term survivors that are not captured by other instruments and to be suitable for widespread use in investigations of the well-being of this burgeoning population," the authors write.

SOURCE:
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, October 28, 2008