Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D: A multi-attribute utility instrument based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire

T Shiroiwa; M T King; R Norman; F Müller; R Campbell; G Kemmler; T Murata; K Shimozuma; T Fukuda

doi:10.1007/s11136-024-03655-7

Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D: A multi-attribute utility instrument based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire

Qual Life Res. 2024 May 9. doi: 10.1007/s11136-024-03655-7. Online ahead of print.

Authors

T Shiroiwa¹, M T King^{2

3}, R Norman⁴, F Müller^{5

6}, R Campbell², G Kemmler^{3

7}, T Murata⁸, K Shimozuma⁹, T Fukuda¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health (C2H), National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Saitama, Japan. t.shiroiwa@icer.jp.
² Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group, Brussels, Belgium.
⁴ School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
⁵ Medical Psychology, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁶ Amsterdam Public Health, Global Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics I, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
⁸ Crecon Medical Assessment Co., Ltd, Tokyo, Japan.
⁹ College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan.
¹⁰ Center for Outcomes Research and Economic Evaluation for Health (C2H), National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Saitama, Japan.

PMID: 38724771
DOI: 10.1007/s11136-024-03655-7

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a Japanese value set for the EORTC QLU-C10D, a multi-attribute utility measure derived from the cancer-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaire, the EORTC QLQ-C30. The QLU-C10D contains ten HRQL dimensions: physical, role, social and emotional functioning, pain, fatigue, sleep, appetite, nausea, and bowel problems.

Methods: Quota sampling of a Japanese online panel was used to achieve representativeness of the Japanese general population by sex and age (≥ 18 years). The valuation method was an online discrete choice experiment. Each participant considered 16 choice pairs, randomly assigned from 960 choice pairs. Each pair included two QLU-C10D health states and life expectancy. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression, parameterized to fit the quality-adjusted life-year framework. Preference weights were calculated as the ratio of each dimension-level coefficient to the coefficient for life expectancy.

Results: A total of 2809 eligible panel members consented, 2662/2809 (95%) completed at least one choice pair, and 2435/2662 (91%) completed all choice pairs. Within dimensions, preference weights were generally monotonic. Physical functioning, role functioning, and pain were associated with the largest utility weights. Intermediate utility weights were associated with social functioning and nausea; the remaining symptoms and emotional functioning were associated with smaller utility decrements. The value of the worst health state was - 0.221, lower than that seen in most other existing QLU-C10D country-specific value sets.

Conclusions: The Japan-specific QLU-C10D value set is suitable for evaluating the cost and utility of oncology treatments for Japanese health technology assessment and decision-making.

Keywords: Cancer; Discrete choice experiment; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 items; Multi-attribute utility; Preference-based measure; QLQ-C30; QLU-C10D; Quality of Life Utility Core 10 dimensions.

Grants and funding

PG632662/National Health and Medical Research Council