Background & objective: The general module of the system of quality of life instruments for cancer patients, QLICP-GM, has been developed and its reliability and validity has been evaluated by us. This study was to analyze its responsiveness.
Methods: The quality of life of 600 patients with 5 kinds of cancer was measured using QLICP-GM before and after treatment. Traditional significance tests with some indices, such as effect size, standardized response mean and equivalence, were applied to evaluate responsiveness.
Results: The quality of life score changed significantly after treatment on 3 domains: physical function, psychologic function, and general symptoms and side effects. The standardized response mean of the overall instrument ranged from 0.16 to 0.67. Equivalence test showed no equivalence on quality of life score changes of these domains and the overall instrument.
Conclusion: QLICP-GM possesses reasonable responsiveness and can be used in clinical measurement of quality of life for cancer patients.