Psychometric Properties of the EORTC QLQ-LC29 Module for Assessing Quality of Life in Patients with Lung Cancer: An Observational Study in Antioquia, Colombia

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spain Spanish versionof the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - Quality of Life Questionnaire -Lung Cancer Module-29 (EORTC QLQ-LC29) in Colombia. Methods: Content validity was assessed withconfirmatory factor analysis, concurrent criterion validity by comparing scores of the QLQ-LC29 andFunctional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Lung (FACT-L) scales, internal consistency by Cronbach’salpha, test-retest reliability with Lin’s concordance coefficient, and sensitivity to change after therapeuticintervention by comparing averages in repeated measurements. Results: The EORTC QLQ-LC29 wasadministered to 292 patients aged 19 to 92 years with a diagnosis of lung cancer. Factor analysis showedacceptable model fit. In the concurrent validity assessment, a significant moderate negative correlationwas found between the QLQ-LC29 domains of cough symptoms (-0.499), dyspnea (-0.468), and wellbeingin the FACT-L module. A moderate negative correlation was also found between fear of diseaseprogression (-0.554) and emotional well-being on the FACT-L scale; Cronbach’s alpha of the overall scalewas 0.81; Lin’s coefficient was between 0.54 and 0.98; differences between scores before and after atherapeutic intervention were significant only for the domain “Side effects of treatment”.Conclusion: Cultural adaptation of the Spain version of the EORTC QLQ-LC29 was necessary toensure its internal consistency, stability, feasibility, content validity, criterion validity, and constructvalidity for measuring quality of life in Colombian lung cancer patients.