Japanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for Head and Neck Tumor module: Validation study.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Head and Neck Tumor module (MDASI-HN), a patient-reported outcome measure for head and neck cancer. Methods: The MDASI-HN was translated into Japanese, and cognitive debriefing was conducted. A cross-sectional study was administered to patients with head and neck cancer who were recruited within 5 years of receiving surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy at three cancer treatment centers. The reliability and validity of the Japanese version were confirmed through structural equation modeling, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, known-groups validity. Results: The Japanese translation of the MDASI-HN was revised with developer feedback. Cognitive debriefing with five patients provided positive feedback regarding the ease of completion and understanding. A cross-sectional sample of 147 patients completed the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling showed a Confirmatory Fit Index of 0.975 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation of 0.059. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.88 for head and neck cancer-specific items and 0.96 for all symptom items. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (2,1) were 0.72 for HNC-specific items and 0.74 for all items. The convergent validity with the EORTC QLQ-H&N module was Conclusions: The results showed that the translated MSASI-HN was reliable, valid, and feasible for use in Japanese-speaking patients with head and neck cancer.