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Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research

Responsiveness of the EQ-5D in breast cancer patients in their first year after treatment

Authors: Merel L Kimman, Carmen D Dirksen, Philippe Lambin, Liesbeth J Boersma

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2009

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Abstract

Background/aim

The EQ-5D is a generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measure that is used for the purpose of economic evaluations of health interventions. Therefore, it has to be responsive to meaningful changes in health in the patient population under investigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the responsiveness of the EQ-5D in breast cancer patients in their first year after treatment.

Methods

The subscale global health of the disease-specific HRQoL measure EORTC QLQ-C30 was used as a reference instrument to determine meaningful changes in health and identify subgroups of patients: patients reporting a moderate-large deterioration, small deterioration, a small improvement, moderate-large improvement, or no change in health status. Responsiveness was evaluated by calculating standardized response means (SRMs) in the five subgroups of patients and performing analysis of variance procedures. The two HRQoL measures were filled out two weeks and one year after finalizing curative treatment for breast cancer (n = 192).

Results

The EQ-5D was able to capture both improvements and deteriorations in HRQoL. SRMs of the EQ VAS and EQ-5D Index were close to zero in the subgroup reporting no change and increased and decreased adequately in the subgroups reporting small and moderate changes. Additional analysis of variance procedures showed that the EQ-5D was able to differentiate between subgroups of patients with no change and moderate-large deterioration or improvement in health.

Conclusion

The EQ-5D seems an appropriate measure for the purpose of economic evaluations of health intervention in breast cancer patients after treatment.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN74071417.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Responsiveness of the EQ-5D in breast cancer patients in their first year after treatment
Authors
Merel L Kimman
Carmen D Dirksen
Philippe Lambin
Liesbeth J Boersma
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-7-11

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