
"I now know how cancer can strike anyone whatever their situation or circumstance. I hope by taking part in a trial it will help others in my position in the future.”
This study looked at a quality of life questionnaire for men with testicular cancer.
This study was open for men to join between 2012 and 2015. These results were published in 2018.
It is important to find out how symptoms of cancer and side effects of treatment affect people’s quality of life. To find this out, doctors interviewed men with testicular cancer and asked them to fill in quality of life questionnaires.
There has been no specific questionnaire for men with testicular cancer. They had to fill in a general one for cancer. But this didn’t highlight any particular problems they might have had.
Researchers developed a questionnaire that looked particularly at the quality of life for men with testicular cancer. They wanted to find out if it gave a better measure of their quality of life when used with the general questionnaire.
They also wanted to find out if there were any benefits or disadvantages to using a computer to fill in the questionnaires.
The team found that the specialised quality of life questionnaire for men with testicular cancer (EORTC QLQ-TC26) is applicable, reliable and well accepted.
About this study
This was an international phase 4 study. 313 men took part:
Treatment for the 113 men was surgery with or without chemotherapy afterwards. They filled in the questionnaires 1 to 3 days after surgery and then 4 weeks later.
The 200 men in the group that had finished treatment had finished it at least 1 year ago. They filled in the questionnaires when they joined the study and then a week later. This was to check the consistency and dependability of the questions in the EORTC QLQ-TC 26.
They filled in the initial questionnaires at the hospital when they agreed to join the study. They could fill in the follow up questionnaires either at:
The testicular questionnaire consisted of 26 questions that asked about:
At the end of the study everyone filled in a debriefing questionnaire. The questions were about:
They were also invited to make comments.
Results
The researchers looked at how many of the questions in the EORTC QLQ-TC 26 weren’t answered. Overall they found it was low. The questions about sex were the ones missed the most followed by those asking about treatment satisfaction.
The team found that the EORTC QLQ-TC 26 contained the right questions to measure the quality of life of men with testicular cancer. For most questions the team found the reliability of measuring the quality of life exceeded their expectations apart from those about:
Debriefing questionnaire
Of the 313 men, 173 men completed the debriefing questionnaire. From the debriefing questionnaire the team found:
Comments were mainly about the questions asking about sex. The men felt the questions were sensitive but relevant.
Using the web based questionnaire
Overall 48 out of every 100 questionnaires (48%) were completed using the web based programme (electronically).
To find out more about using the web programme the team asked 15 men about it. They found that all were able to find their way around the questionnaire. For example they were all able to skip questions, change answers, go onto the next question and save their responses.
3 men reported minor issues about how it looked on the screen. For example they suggested that the lettering (font) should be larger and different icon colouring.
Conclusion
The study team concluded that the EORTC QLQ-TC 26 questionnaire is a reliable and effective measure of the quality of life for men with testicular cancer. They recommend that it is used with the general cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) in clinical trials and for men having the standard care for testicular cancer.
Where this information comes from
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed) 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.
Mr C.D. Johnson
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I now know how cancer can strike anyone whatever their situation or circumstance. I hope by taking part in a trial it will help others in my position in the future.”