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Validation of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT)

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An Erratum to this article was published on 29 August 2006

Summary

Background

Symptom occurrence has been shown to predict treatment course and survival in patients with solid tumors. Primary brain tumor (PBT) patients are unique in the occurrence of neurologic symptoms. Currently, no instrument exists that measures both neurologic and cancer-related symptoms.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with PBT participated in this study. Data was collected at one point in time and included demographic and clinical factors, and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT). The study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MDASI-BT in primary brain tumor patients.

Results

Two hundred and one patients participated in this study. Mean symptom severity of items as well as cluster analysis was used to reduce the number of total items to 22 (13 core, 9 brain tumor items). Regression analysis showed more than half (56%) of the variability in symptom severity was explained by brain module items. The MDASI-BT measures six underlying constructs including affective, cognitive, focal neurologic deficit, constitutional, generalized symptom, and a gastrointestinal related factor. The internal consistency (reliability) of the instrument was 0.91. The MDASI-BT was sensitive to disease severity based on performance status (P<0.001), tumor recurrence (P<0.01), and mean symptom interference (P<0.001).

Conclusions

The 22 item MDASI-BT demonstrated validity and reliability in patients with PBT. This instrument can be used to identify symptom occurrence throughout the disease trajectory and to evaluate interventions designed for symptom management.

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the Oncology Nursing Society/American Brain Tumor Association Neuro-oncology Research Grant and a grant from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Nursing, Houston, Texas, USA

    T.S. Armstrong, M.Z. Cohen & L. Eriksen

  2. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    T.S. Armstrong, T. Mendoza, I. Gring, C. Coco, M.Z. Cohen, L. Eriksen, M.R. Gilbert & C. Cleeland

  3. Pfizer, Inc., New London, Conneticut, USA

    Ming-Ann Hsu

  4. Neuro-Oncology, Unit 431, UT MDACC, 301402, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA

    T.S. Armstrong

Authors
  1. T.S. Armstrong
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  2. T. Mendoza
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  3. I. Gring
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  4. C. Coco
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  5. M.Z. Cohen
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  7. Ming-Ann Hsu
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  8. M.R. Gilbert
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  9. C. Cleeland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T.S. Armstrong.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11060-006-9228-8

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Armstrong, T., Mendoza, T., Gring, I. et al. Validation of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT). J Neurooncol 80, 27–35 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-006-9135-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-006-9135-z

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