Overview
The NCCN/FKSI-19 (NFKSI-19) is a brief, clinically relevant symptom index for assessing symptomatic response to chemotherapy for advanced kidney cancer. Items were extracted from a multidimensional cancer quality of life measurement system, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT). Surveys of disease-related symptoms were presented to expert physicians and nurses at 17 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) member institutions. In a two-step procedure, each expert narrowed the list to no more than five of the very most important to attend to when assessing the value of drug treatment for advanced disease. Symptoms endorsed at a frequency greater than chance probability were retained. The resulting NFKSI-19 is comprised of items relating to fatigue, pain, nausea, weight loss, worry about worsening condition, and contentment with current QOL, and were consistently selected by experts as priority symptoms.
MEASURE NAME:
National Comprehensive Cancer Network/Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Kidney Cancer Symptom Index - 19 Item Version (NFKSI-19)
VERSION:
2
NUMBER OF ITEMS:
19
PATIENT POPULATION:
Kidney cancer patients 18 years and older
RECALL PERIOD:
Past 7 days
RESPONSE SCALE:
5 point Likert-type scale
DATA COLLECTION:
Paper and electronic
ADMINISTRATION:
Self-administration and interview when applicable
SUBSCALE DOMAINS:
Disease-Related Symptoms – Physical, Disease-Related Symptoms – Emotional, Treatment Side-Effects, Function/Well-Being
TIME FOR COMPLETION:
5-10 minutes
SCORING:
Manual scoring template, some items are reverse scored. Subscale scores and total scores available.
RELATED MEASURES:
Language Availability
Available translations of the NFKSI-19 can be obtained by registering for permission. Users are not permitted to translate the NFKSI-19 without permission from FACIT.org. Permission from FACIT.org to translate the NFKSI-19 may also be contingent upon timeline expectations and availability of FACIT staff. Translations must undergo a rigorous methodology under the guidance of FACIT.org which includes multiple translators, QA steps and cognitive interviews with patients. For commercial use, FACITtrans is the approved translation vendor to translate the FACIT measurement system.
Please contact us for more information.
Licensing
Licensing fees are assessed on a per trial/per measure basis for commercial use. There is no fee for use of the English version, but a license should be obtained.
Non-commercial use is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Licensing fees are typically not applied to investigator-initiated research, students, or clinical use.
To license an available version of this measure for commercial or non-commercial use, please complete our registration form. All of the information provided in the form will be kept strictly confidential. For questions, please contact us.
Selected References
Cella, D., Paul, D., Yount, S., Winn, R., Chang, C-H, Banik, D., & Weeks, J. What are the most important symptom targets when treating advanced cancer? A survey of providers in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Cancer Investigation 2003; 21(4): 526-535. doi: 10.108/CNV-120022366.
Cella, D., Rosenbloom, S., Beaumont, J., Yount, J., Paul, D., Hampton, D., Abernethy, A., Jacobsen, P., Syrjala, K., & Von Roenn, J. Development and validation of 11 symptom indexes to evaluate response to chemotherapy for advanced cancer. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network; 2011; 9(3): 268-278. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2011.0026.
Rao, D., Butt, Z., Rosenbloom, S., Robinson, D., von Roenn, J., Kuzel, T., & Cella, D. A comparison of the renal cell carcinoma symptom index (RCC-SI) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – kidney symptom index (FKSI). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2009; 38(2): 291-298. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2008.08.013.
Rosenbloom, S., Yount, S., Yost, K., Hampton, D., Paul, D., Abernethy, A., Jacobsen, P., Syrjala, K., Von Roenn, J., & Cella, D. Development and validation of eleven symptom indices to evaluate response to chemotherapy for advanced cancer: Measurement compliance with regulatory demands. Farquhar, I., Summers, K., Sorkin, A. (Eds.). The Value of Innovation: Impacts on Health, Life Quality and Regulatory Research. Emerald Group Publishing Inc. 2007; 16: 53-66. doi: 10.1016/S0194-3960(08)16003-6.
Rothrock, N., Jensen, S., Beaumont, J., Abernethy, A., Jacobsen, P., Syrjala, K., & Cella, D. Development and Initial Validation of the NCCN/FACT Symptom Index for Kidney Cancer. Value in Health 2013; 16(5): 789-796. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2013.04.015.
Bonomi, A.E., Cella, D.D., Hahn, E.A., Bjordal, K., Sperner, B., Gangeri, L., Bergman, B., Willems, J., Hanquet, P., & Zittoun, R. Multilingual translation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) quality of life measurement system. Quality of Life Research 1996; 5: 309-320.
Eremenco, S., Arnold, B., Cella, D. A comprehensive method for the translation and cross-cultural validation of health status questionnaires. Evaluation & the Health Professions 2005; 28(2): 212-232.
Webster K., Cella D., Yost K. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) measurement system: Properties applications, and interpretation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2003; 1(1): 79-85.
Yost K.J., Eton D.T. Combining distribution- and anchor-based approaches to determine minimally important differences: The FACIT experience. Evaluation & the Health Professions 2005; 28(2): 172-191.
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