0000000000520310
AUTHOR
Thierry Conroy
The EORTC computer-adaptive tests measuring physical functioning and fatigue exhibited high levels of measurement precision and efficiency
Objectives: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group is developing a computer-adaptive test (CAT) version of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30). We evaluated the measurement properties of the CAT versions of physical functioning (PF) and fatigue (FA) and compared these with the corresponding QLQ-C30 scales. Study Design and Setting: Based on international samples of more than 1,000 cancer patients, we simulated CAT administration of varying numbers of items and compared the resulting scores with those based on all items in the respective item pools. Furthermore, the relative validity (RV) of CATs was compared with that of th…
The SCOPE of definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer: what direction for the future?
Exclusive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) delivering 50 Gy over 5 weeks with cisplatin and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy is a cornerstone in locally advanced esophageal cancer or non-operable patients since the results of the pivotal study of US Intergroup RTOG-8501 (1). This trial has successfully demonstrated that some patients with esophageal carcinoma may be long-term survivors so that this treatment is now definitely accepted as curative (2). Nevertheless the prognosis is still very disappointing with a 5-year overall survival rate of approximately 25%. Attempts to improve overall survival by escalating the dose of radiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin and fluorouracil has been assessed in …