The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) is a widely used tool for assessing quality of life in individuals with cancer. Developed by the EORTC Quality of Life Group, it is extensively used in cancer research and routine clinical care. This questionnaire provides a standardized method to gather patient-reported information on various aspects of their well-being. First released in 1993, the EORTC QLQ-C30 has been adopted by numerous research groups globally.
Understanding Quality of Life in Cancer
Measuring quality of life in cancer extends beyond tracking survival rates or tumor shrinkage. It encompasses a patient’s overall well-being, including physical, emotional, and social functioning, and their ability to engage in daily activities. Understanding these dimensions is important because cancer and its treatments often lead to side effects that significantly impact a patient’s daily life, even if the disease is controlled.
Assessing quality of life provides a comprehensive view of how a patient experiences their illness and treatment. This perspective helps healthcare providers understand the burden of symptoms, the impact on independence, and emotional state. Such insights are valuable for tailoring care plans that address the disease and improve comfort and overall functioning during and after treatment.
What the Questionnaire Measures
The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a 30-item instrument designed to assess quality of life in cancer patients. It incorporates several scales and single items to capture a broad range of experiences. The questionnaire includes five functional scales:
- Physical functioning: assesses ability to perform daily activities.
- Role functioning: evaluates limitations in work or hobbies.
- Emotional functioning: covers feelings such as anxiety and depression.
- Cognitive functioning: relates to memory and concentration.
- Social functioning: gauges the impact on social interactions.
Beyond functional aspects, the QLQ-C30 features a global health status/quality of life scale, providing an overall perception of health and well-being. It also includes symptom scales to measure the severity of common cancer-related symptoms, such as:
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain
- Dyspnoea (shortness of breath)
- Insomnia
- Appetite loss
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
Additionally, the questionnaire addresses financial difficulties, recognizing the economic impact of cancer on patients.
How the QLQ-C30 is Utilized
The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a self-reported questionnaire. This direct input ensures the assessment reflects the patient’s personal experience of their quality of life. Once completed, raw scores are converted to a standardized scale, ranging from 0 to 100.
For functional scales and the global health status, higher scores indicate better functioning or improved quality of life. Conversely, for symptom scales, higher scores signify more severe symptoms or greater difficulties. This standardized scoring allows for consistent interpretation and comparison of results across patients and studies. Primary applications of the QLQ-C30 include evaluating the impact of new cancer treatments in clinical trials and monitoring patient well-being in routine clinical practice.
The Value of QLQ-C30 for Patients and Research
The data collected using the EORTC QLQ-C30 offers significant value for individual patient care and broader research efforts. For patients, the questionnaire provides a structured way to communicate experiences and concerns to healthcare providers. This information can inform treatment decisions, allowing for adjustments that better manage symptoms and improve daily functioning, tailoring support to their specific needs.
In research, the widespread use of the QLQ-C30 allows for consistent measurement of quality of life across studies and populations. This consistency is important for comparing the effectiveness and side effect profiles of treatments, guiding the development of new therapies, and contributing to a comprehensive understanding of cancer care outcomes. The questionnaire integrates patient perspectives into the evidence base, driving continuous improvements in oncology.