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ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2017

Quality of life of pediatric oncology patients: Do patient-reported outcome instruments measure what matters to patients?

Samantha J Anthony, Enid Selkirk, Lillian Sung, Robert J Klaassen, David Dix, Anne F Klassen

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Children's and adolescents' perspectives on living with advanced cancer: A meta-synthesis of qualitative research.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2024
    Pooled it
  2. Updating our understanding of health-related quality of life issues in children with cancer: a systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures and qualitative studies.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Health utilities in pediatric cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis for clinical implementation.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2022
    Pooled it
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  6. Quality of life in pediatric oncology patients, caregivers and siblings after psychosocial screening: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020
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  7. Understanding data visualization techniques in qualitative studies used to develop and validate patient-reported outcome measures: a targeted literature review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Samantha J AnthonyDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. samantha.anthony@sickkids.ca.
Enid SelkirkDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Lillian SungDivision of Haematology/Oncology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street - 6.9710, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
Robert J KlaassenDepartment of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
David DixDepartment of Pediatrics Hem/Onc/BMT, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Anne F KlassenDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Funding

CIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe assessment of quality of life (QOL) is key within pediatric oncology and requires a clearly defined construct of QOL. The purpose of our study was: (1) to conduct a qualitative study to inform the theoretical underpinnings of QOL and (2) to determine the appropriateness of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments to assess and evaluate QOL in pediatric cancer patients and survivors.

methodsThe study used an interpretative description approach. Children diagnosed with childhood cancer, aged 8-18 years, were recruited from four Canadian hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were completed, transcribed verbatim and coded through methods of constant comparison. In-depth analysis facilitated a comparison between emerging themes and the content of commonly used PRO instruments.

resultsThirty-seven children (19 females; 51 %) participated. The mean age was 13 years, and 19 (51 %) participants were post-treatment. Participant experiences reflected notions of positive and negative duality, including: maintaining physical functioning but longing for the ability to participate in activities; experiencing a new level of intimacy with family and friends amidst isolation; and developing positivity amidst anger, sadness and lingering worry. Analysis showed that existing PRO instruments are missing concerns specific to this population and contain content not reflective of the QOL experiences of childhood cancer patients and survivors.

conclusionsOur research highlights important problems with content validity of existing PRO scales, indicating that the tools we have to date have limited utility in research and clinical practice. The development of a new PRO instrument should be considered to ensure that content validity is achieved.

Indexed as

Patient Reported Outcome MeasuresAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleNeoplasmsQualitative ResearchQuality of LifeSurvivorsCancerPatient outcome assessmentPediatricsQuality of life

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.