Psychometric validation of the Patient Symptom Assessment in Lung Cancer instrument for small cell lung cancer

ABSTRACTObjective: Patient Symptom Assessment in Lung Cancer (PSALC) is a symptom scale developed for use in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to assess nine lung cancer symptoms (shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, appetite loss, sleep interference, hoarseness, fatigue, interference with daily activities) scored from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). This study aims to retrospectively evaluate the psychometric properties of PSALC using clinical trial data.Methods: Data were analyzed from a randomized, open-label, multicenter trial with 211 patients with SCLC receiving IV topotecan versus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine. PSALC was evaluated at baseline and at 3-week intervals. Internal consistency, reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness were evaluated.Results: Factor analysis indicated that one factor could represent all symptom items, so a PSALC total score (PSALC-TS) was used for psychometric validation. Internal consistency was supported by Cronbach'...