Patient reported dry mouth: Instrument comparison and model performance for correlation with quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors

Radiother Oncol. 2018 Jan;126(1):75-80. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.10.037. Epub 2017 Dec 8.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify a clinically meaningful cut-point for the single item dry mouth question of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck module (MDASI-HN).

Methods: Head and neck cancer survivors who had received radiation therapy (RT) completed the MDASI-HN, the University of Michigan Hospital Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), and the health visual analog scale (VAS) of the EuroQol Five Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D). The Bayesian information criteria (BIC) were used to test the prediction power of each tool for EQ-5D VAS. The modified Breiman recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used to identify a cut point of the MDASI-HN dry mouth score (MDASI-HN-DM) with EQ-5D VAS, using a ROC-based approach; regression analysis was used to confirm the threshold effect size.

Results: Two-hundred seven respondents formed the cohort. Median follow-up from the end of RT to questionnaire completion was 88 months. The single item MDASI-HN-DM score showed a linear relationship with the XQ composite score (ρ = 0.80, p < 0.001). The MDASI-HN-DM displayed improved model performance for association with EQ-5D VAS as compared to XQ (BIC of 1803.7 vs. 2016.9, respectively). RPA showed that an MDASI-HN-DM score of ≥6 correlated with EQ-5D VAS decline (LogWorth 5.5).

Conclusion: The single item MDASI-HN-DM correlated with the multi-item XQ and performed favorably in the prediction of QOL. A MDASI-HN-DM cut point of ≥6 correlated with decline in QOL.

Keywords: Dry mouth; Head and neck; Patient reported outcomes; Prediction model; Quality of life; Survivors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Cancer Survivors
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Quality of Life
  • Radiation Injuries / diagnosis*
  • Radiation Injuries / etiology*
  • Self Report
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Xerostomia / diagnosis*
  • Xerostomia / etiology*