Reliability & validity of the Malayalam Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Head & Neck Cancer

Background & objectives: The need for quality over quantity in cancer survival is increasingly being recognised in the developing countries, and the efforts to monitor quality of life (QOL) are increasing. However, the non-availability of a valid and reliable tool in the local language is a common problem. Cross-culturally sensitive tools enable the researchers to compare different patient populations and identify cultural differences and variations. The present study was carried out to translate, validate and test for reliability a reliable QOL tool for the head and neck cancer patient population in a tertiary care hospital in south India. Methods: The functional assessment of cancer therapy for head and neck cancer (FACT-H&N) was translated into the local language (Malayalam) and tested for reliability in 140 patients of head and neck cancer. Results: The translated tool showed substantial psychometric sensitivity. The Cronbach's α for the total FACT-H&N was 0.94. The α scores for the five subscales ranged from 0.81-0.92. Significant correlations were observed amongst the total QOL and subscale scores and patient's demographic, disease and treatment variables. Interpretation & conclusion: The Malayalam translation of the FACT-H&N questionnaire was developed, tested and validated. It was found to satisfactorily measure QOL in head and neck cancer patients