IntroductionEarly guidelines for minimally important differences (MIDs) for the EORTC QLQ-C30 proposed ≥10 points change as clinically meaningful for all scales. Increasing evidence that MIDs can... Show moreIntroductionEarly guidelines for minimally important differences (MIDs) for the EORTC QLQ-C30 proposed ≥10 points change as clinically meaningful for all scales. Increasing evidence that MIDs can vary by scale, direction of change, cancer type and estimation method has raised doubt about a single global standard. This paper identifies MID patterns for interpreting group-level change in EORTC QLQ-C30 scores across nine cancer types.MethodsData were obtained from 21 published EORTC Phase III trials that enroled 13,015 patients across nine cancer types (brain, colorectal, advanced breast, head/neck, lung, mesothelioma, melanoma, ovarian, and prostate). Anchor-based MIDs for within-group change and between-group differences in change over time were obtained via mean change method and linear regression, respectively. Separate MIDs were estimated for improvements and deteriorations. Distribution-based estimates were derived and compared with anchor-based MIDs.ResultsAnchor-based MIDs mostly ranged from 5 to 10 points. Differences in MIDs for improvement vs deterioration, for both within-group and between-group, were mostly within a 2-points range. Larger differences between within-group and between-group MIDs were observed for several scales in ovarian, lung and head/neck cancer. Most anchor-based MIDs ranged between 0.3 SD and 0.5 SD distribution-based estimates.ConclusionsOur results reinforce recent claims that no single MID can be applied to all EORTC QLQ-C30 scales and disease settings. MIDs varied by scale, improvement/deterioration, within/between comparisons and by cancer type. Researchers applying commonly used rules of thumb must be aware of the risk of dismissing changes that are clinically meaningful or underpowering analyses when smaller MIDs apply. Show less
Background. Minimally important differences (MIDs) allow interpretation of the clinical relevance of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) results. This study aimed to estimate MIDs for all... Show moreBackground. Minimally important differences (MIDs) allow interpretation of the clinical relevance of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) results. This study aimed to estimate MIDs for all European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) scales for interpreting group-level results in brain tumor patients.Methods. Clinical and HRQOL data from three glioma trials were used. Clinical anchors were selected for each EORTC QLQ-C30 scale, based on correlation (>0.30) and clinical plausibility of association. Changes in both HRQOL and the anchors were calculated, and for each scale and time period, patients were categorized into one of the three clinical change groups: deteriorated by one anchor category, no change, or improved by one anchor category. Mean change method and linear regression were applied to estimate MIDs for interpreting within-group change and between-group differences in change over time, respectively. Distribution-based methods were applied to generate supportive evidence.Results. A total of 1687 patients were enrolled in the three trials. The retained anchors were performance status and eight Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) scales. MIDs for interpreting within-group change ranged from 4 to 12 points for improvement and -4 to -14 points for deterioration. MIDs for between-group difference in change ranged from 4 to 9 for improvement and -4 to -16 for deterioration. Most anchor-based MIDs were closest to the 0.3 SD distribution-based estimates (range: 3-10).Conclusions. MIDs for the EORTC QLQ-C30 scales generally ranged between 4 and 11 points for both within-group mean change and between-group mean difference in change. These results can be used to interpret QLQ-C30 results from glioma trials. Show less
Wiltink, L.M.; White, K.; King, M.T.; Rutherford, C. 2020
Purpose Due to increasing numbers of colorectal and anal cancer survivors, more individuals are living with long-term symptoms after treatment. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the... Show morePurpose Due to increasing numbers of colorectal and anal cancer survivors, more individuals are living with long-term symptoms after treatment. A systematic review was undertaken to assess the extent to which practice guidelines for colorectal and anal cancer provide recommendations for managing long-term symptoms and functioning impairments. Methods Four electronic databases and websites of 30 international cancer societies were searched for clinical practice guidelines, consensus statements, or best practice recommendations for colorectal or anal cancer. Quality of included guidelines was evaluated with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II tool. Results were narratively summarized. Results We included 51 guidelines or consensus statements. Recommendations for managing long-term symptoms or functioning impairments were reported in 13 guidelines (25.4%). All 13 recommend a healthy lifestyle, diet, body weight, and physical activity. The ASCO Colorectal Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline is the most comprehensive, including interventions targeting sexual and bowel function to pain and cognitive issues, and also highlights limited evidence for informing management strategies. Other guidelines recommend treating incontinence, chronic diarrhea, and distress, and stress the need for greater awareness for sexual dysfunction, survivorship clinics, and referrals to specific supportive care interventions. Conclusions Few clinical practice guidelines include recommendations for managing long-term symptoms and functioning impairments. It is unclear if this is due to limited evidence or absence of management strategies and interventions. Clear recommendations for managing long-term symptoms and functioning to help health professionals in supporting colorectal and anal cancer survivors are needed. Show less
Petersen, M.A.; Aaronson, N.K.; Arraras, J.I.; Chie, W.C.; Conroy, T.; Costantini, A.; ... ; European Org Res Treatment Cancer 2018
