• E A Calhoun, E E Welshman, C-H Chang, J R Lurain, D A Fishman, T L Hunt, and D Cella.
• Departments of Urology, Institute for Health Services and Health Policy Studies, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. e-calhoun@northwestern.edu
• Int. J. Gynecol. Cancer. 2003 Nov 1; 13 (6): 741-8.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) questionnaire. The FACT/GOG-Ntx is the FACT-G plus an eleven-item subscale (Ntx subscale) that evaluates symptoms and concerns associated specifically with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. Two groups of women with ovarian cancer completed the FACT/GOG-Ntx: one group with known neurotoxicities and one group of chemotherapy-naive women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Levels of patient neuropathy, severity of toxicity, and patient quality of life from diagnosis of ovarian cancer to 12 months post-diagnosis were assessed. The Ntx subscale significantly differentiated the two groups at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, demonstrating significantly fewer problems among chemotherapy-naive patients than among patients with known neuropathy. The FACT/GOG-Ntx is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the impact of neuropathy on health-related quality of life. The Ntx subscale demonstrated sensitivity to meaningful clinical distinctions and change over time.

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