
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”
This study looked at how well a quality of life questionnaire measures tiredness (fatigue) caused by cancer.
Cancer and its treatment can cause fatigue. This can affect people’s daily life, social life and quality of life. So it is important that health care professionals can measure the level of fatigue and how it affects people.
The study team had developed a questionnaire to help do this. It was called EORTC QLQ FA13. But they needed to make sure it asked the right questions so that doctors can assess fatigue accurately.
The aim of this study was to find out how well this questionnaire measures fatigue caused by cancer.
The research team were able to test and update the questionnaire to measure fatigue caused by cancer or cancer treatment.
This study recruited people in 2013 and 2014, and the results were published in 2017.
Results
This study recruited more than 900 people who had been diagnosed with cancer. This included:
Everyone taking part filled out the EORTC QLQ FA13 questionnaire. People having treatment completed it before, during and after treatment. People who had finished treatment completed it twice, at least one week apart.
The questionnaire asked them about how much fatigue had affected different parts of their life during the last week. It included areas such as:
The research team analysed the results and found that the questionnaire did accurately measure the level of fatigue in people with cancer. They found that one of the questions was not very useful, so they removed it from the questionnaire.
The results showed that:
Conclusion
The research team were able to test the questionnaire and confirm that it can be used to measure fatigue. The final version is now called EORTC QLQ FA12. It is available from the EORTC Quality of Life Department in 11 languages for doctors around the world to use.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Elizabeth Anne Lanceley
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”