Abstract
The somatic, neurocognitive, and psychiatric side effects of biological response modifiers (BRMs) have been documented in specific patient samples. Although these side effects likely have a predictable impact on patients quality of life (QOL), no instrument currently measures the cumulative effect of the various complaints patients’ report. The current study investigated the reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Biological Response Modifier (FACT-BRM) scale for measuring QOL in a sample of melanoma patients receiving interferon. Measures of distress, depression, and fatigue were also obtained using standardized, well-validated instruments. Results indicate increased symptom burden, depression, and fatigue, and decreased quality of life over 4months of IFN therapy. The FACT-BRM demonstrated good psychometrics and sensitivity to change, and thus appears to be a good instrument for measuring QOL in patients receiving BRMs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
NK Aaronson S Ahmedzia B Bergman et al. (1993) ArticleTitleThe European organization for research and treatment of cancer QLQ-C30: A quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology J Nat Cancer Inst 85 365–376 Occurrence Handle8433390
PA Ganz CM Haskell RA Figlin N Soto ParticleLa J Siau (1988) ArticleTitleEstimating the quality of life in a clinical trial of patients with metastatic lung cancer using the Karnofsky performance status and the Functional Living Index–Cancer Cancer 61 849–856 Occurrence Handle3276389
PA Ganz K Hirji MS Sim CA Schag C Fred ML Polinsky (1993) ArticleTitlePredicting psychosocial risk in patients with breast cancer Med Care 31 419–431 Occurrence Handle8501990
PA Ganz R Day JE Ware SuffixJr C Redmond B Fisher (1995) ArticleTitleBase-line quality–of-life assessment in the national surgical adjuvant breast and bowel project breast cancer prevention trial J Nat Cancer Inst 87 1372–1382 Occurrence Handle7658498
AL Stewart RD Hays JE Ware et al. (1988) ArticleTitleThe MOS short-form General Health Survey: Reliability and validity in a patient population Med Care 26 724–735 Occurrence Handle3393032
JE Ware (1993) SF-36 Health Survey Manual and Interpretation Guide Health Institute, New England Medical Center Boston, MA
Cella DF. The Manual of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Measurement System, Version 4. Center on Outcomes, Research, and Education (CORE), Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Northwestern University, 1997.
JR Quesada M Talpaz A Rios R Kurzrock JU Gutterman (1986) ArticleTitleClinical toxicity of interferons in cancer patients: A review J Clin Oncol 4 234–243 Occurrence Handle2418169
AD Valentine CA Meyers M Talpaz (1998) ArticleTitleTreatment of neurotoxic side effects of Interferon-alpha with Naltrexone Cancer Investi 13 561–566
JM Kirkwood MS Ernstoff (1991) Interferons–clinical applications: Cutaneous melanoma VT Vita ParticleDe SuffixJr S Hellman SA Rosenberg (Eds) Biologic Therapy of Cancer J.B. Lippincott Philadelphia, PA 311–333
K Weiss (1998) ArticleTitleSafety profile of interferon-alpha therapy Sem Oncol 25(Suppl. 1) 9–13
O Eton MG Rosenblum SS Legha et al. (2002) ArticleTitlePhase I trial of subcutaneous recombinant human Interleukin-2 in patients with metastatic melanoma Cancer 95 127–134 Occurrence Handle10.1002/cncr.10631 Occurrence Handle12115326
DH Thiel ParticleVan L Friedlander N Maria ParticleDe PJ Molloy RJ Kania A Colantoni (1998) Hepato-Gastroenterology 45 328–330 Occurrence Handle9638401
PC Trask P Esper M Riba B Redman (2000) ArticleTitlePsychiatric side effects of interferon therapy: Prevalence, proposed mechanisms, and future directions J Clin Oncol 18 2316–2326 Occurrence Handle10829053
A Altindag O Ozbulut S Ozen H Ucmak (2001) ArticleTitleInterferon-alpha-induced mood disorder with manic features (Letter to the editor) Gen Hospital Psychiat 23 168–169 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0163-8343(01)00135-9
OC Gleason WR Yates (1999) ArticleTitleFive cases of Interferon-alpha-induced depression treated with antidepressant therapy Psychosomatics 40 510–512 Occurrence Handle10581980
P Hauser R Soler S Reed et al. (2000) ArticleTitleProphylactic treatment of depression induced by Interferon-alpha Psychosomatics 41 439–441 Occurrence Handle10.1176/appi.psy.41.5.439 Occurrence Handle11015632
S Soni DS Lee J DiVito et al. (2002) ArticleTitleTreatment of pediatric ocular melanoma with high-dose interleukin-2 and Thalidomide J Pediatr Hematol/Oncol 24 488–491 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00043426-200208000-00016
MA Pavol CA Meyers JL Rexer AD Valentine PJ Mattis M Talpaz (1995) ArticleTitlePattern of neurobehavioral deficits associated with interferon alfa therapy for leukemia Neurology 45 947–950 Occurrence Handle7746412
C Pizzi M Caraglia M Cianciulli et al. (2002) ArticleTitleLow-dose recombinant IL-2 induces psychological changes: Monitoring by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Anticancer Res 22 IssueID2A 727–732 Occurrence Handle12014643
Trask PC, Paterson AG, Esper P, Pau J, Redman B. Longitudinal course of depression, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with high-risk melanoma receiving adjuvant interferon. Psycho-Oncology (In press).
L Derogatis N Melisaratos (1983) ArticleTitleThe Brief Symptom Inventory: An introductory report Psychol Med 13 595–605 Occurrence Handle6622612
L Derogatis (1992) The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) Administration, Scoring and Procedures Manual–II EditionNumber2nd ed Clinical Psychometric Research Baltimore
BF Piper SL Dibble MJ Dodd MC Weiss RE Slaughter SM Paul (1998) ArticleTitleThe revised piper fatigue scale: Psychometric evaluation in women with breast cancer Oncol Nursing For 25 677–684
AT Beck RA Steer MG Garbin (1988) ArticleTitlePsychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation Clin Psychol Rev 8 77–100 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0272-7358(88)90050-5
A. Anastasi (1988) Psychological Testing EditionNumber6th ed. Macmillan Publishing Company NY
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Paterson, A.G., Trask, P.C., Wagner, L.I. et al. Validation of the FACT-BRM with interferon-α treated melanoma patients. Qual Life Res 14, 133–139 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-1694-x
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-1694-x