Chicago, IL, USA – Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new questionnaire to measure the quality of life (QoL) issues associated with leukemia: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Leukemia (FACT-Leu).
This questionnaire joins a large family of similar questionnaires targeted to various malignancies and other chronic conditions, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (see
www.facit.org). The FACT-Leu is a brief, valid measure of general and leukemia-specific symptoms and concerns associated with leukemia and its treatment.
Prior to the development of the FACT-Leu, options for measuring leukemia-specific QoL in clinical trials or practice were limited. Working with an international team of investigators and patients to ensure cross-cultural applicability of the questionnaire, lead author David Cella, Ph.D., and his team developed and validated the FACT-Leu to measure the QoL of patients with acute and chronic leukemia.
According to Cella, “Understanding the impact of leukemia and its treatments has never been more important, with an emerging array of treatment options and schedules that patients must consider and endure. By considering patient concerns such as the severity of symptoms and/or treatment effects, family burden, life disruption and disability, clinicians and researchers are better able to understand the broader implications of the disease and its impact on patients and their families.”
The study, "
Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Leukemia: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Leukemia (FACT-Leu) Questionnaire," is published in
Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR).
Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research as well as policy papers to help health care leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal is published bi-monthly and has over 8,000 subscribers (clinicians, decision makers, and researchers worldwide).
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is a nonprofit, international, educational and scientific organization that strives to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness of health care resource use to improve health.
For more information: www.ispor.org