Quality of life of head and neck cancer patient: validation of the European organization for research and treatment of cancer QLQ-C30 and European organization for research and treatment of cancer QLQ-H&N35 in Indian patients

Aims: To present the first cross-culture validation of the European organization for research and treatment of cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaires, the EORTC-QLQ-C30, and the QLQ-H&N35 in India. Settings and Design: These questionnaires were translated into two vernacular languages and pilot test was done on 15 patients. Two hundred head and neck cancer patients completed the QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-H&N35 at two time points during their treatment. Psychometric evaluation of the structure, reliability, and validity of the questionnaire was undertaken. Results: The data supports the reliability of the scales. Validity was tested by item-scale, scale--scale correlation and by performing known group comparisons. The results demonstrated that the items correlated with their respective scale and no significant correlation was found between scales. The questionnaire was responsive to change over a period of time. Summary: This data suggests that the EORTC QLO-C30 and the QLQ-H&N35 are reliable and valid questionnaires when applied to a sample of head and neck cancer patients in India