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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 9/2015

01-09-2015 | Original Article

Symptom clusters of gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy using the Functional Living Index—Emesis (FLIE) quality-of-life tool

Authors: Michael Poon, Kristopher Dennis, Carlo DeAngelis, Hans Chung, Jordan Stinson, Liying Zhang, Gillian Bedard, Erin Wong, Marko Popovic, Nicholas Lao, Natalie Pulenzas, Shun Wong, Paul Cheon, Edward Chow

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 9/2015

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Abstract

Objective

The Functional Living Index—Emesis (FLIE) instrument is a validated nausea and vomiting specific quality of life (QOL) tool originally created as a 3-day test of the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on cancer patients’ daily life. The primary objective of the present study was to retrospectively explore the use of the FLIE from data obtained in a previously published study of patients with gastrointestinal radiation-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) and compare the extracted symptom clusters on a weekly basis for the entirety of gastrointestinal cancer patients’ radiotherapy treatments.

Methods

QOL was assessed on a weekly basis using the 18-item FLIE questionnaire for patients’ radiotherapy treatments. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed at each visit. The internal consistency and reliability of the derived clusters was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha. Robust relationship and correlation among symptoms was displayed with biplot graphics.

Results

A total of 460 FLIE assessments were completed for the 86 gastrointestinal patients who underwent radiotherapy. Two components were consistently identified except for week 5 where only one component was identified. Component 1 contained the items “Q10–Q18” which included all vomiting items. Component 2 included all nausea items from “Q1 to Q9”. All the variables were well accounted for by two components for most weeks of treatment with excellent internal consistency. Biplots indicate that the two symptom clusters were evident at each week, with the exception of the first week of treatment. Strong correlations were seen between the effect of nausea on patients’ ability to make meals, patients’ ability to do tasks within the home, and patients’ willingness to spend time with family and friends.

Conclusion

The high internal consistency at all timepoints indicates that the FLIE QOL instrument is useful for the RINV population.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
Symptom clusters of gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy using the Functional Living Index—Emesis (FLIE) quality-of-life tool
Authors
Michael Poon
Kristopher Dennis
Carlo DeAngelis
Hans Chung
Jordan Stinson
Liying Zhang
Gillian Bedard
Erin Wong
Marko Popovic
Nicholas Lao
Natalie Pulenzas
Shun Wong
Paul Cheon
Edward Chow
Publication date
01-09-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 9/2015
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2617-9

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Erratum

Erratum to: Incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: ADVICE (Actual Data of Vomiting Incidence by Chemotherapy Evaluation) study
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