Overview
NCCNFACT Ovarian Index-18 (NFOSI-18) is an ovarian cancer-specific symptom index comprised of symptoms rated as highest priority by both oncology clinical experts and women with advanced ovarian cancer. Fifty-one women with advanced ovarian cancer rated the importance of 30 symptoms associated with advanced ovarian cancer. Ten gynecologic oncologists then rated symptoms according to whether they were predominantly disease- or treatment-related. Patient priorities were then reconciled with previously published clinician priorities for symptom measurement in ovarian cancer. Lower NFOSI-18 scores indicate greater high-priority symptom burden. Preliminary reliability suggests good internal consistency (α=0.80). The NFOSI-18 and its subscales were significantly positively associated with quality of life validity criteria and scores on the NFOSI-18 differed significantly by performance status, with poor performance status associated with lower NFOSI-18 scores.
MEASURE NAME:
National Comprehensive Cancer Network/Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Ovarian Cancer Symptom Index - 18 Item Version (NFOSI-18)
VERSION:
2
NUMBER OF ITEMS:
18
PATIENT POPULATION:
Ovarian 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 possible.
RELATED MEASURES:
Language Availability
Available translations of the NFOSI-18 can be obtained by registering for permission. Users are not permitted to translate the NFOSI-18 without permission from FACIT.org. Permission from FACIT.org to translate the NFOSI-18 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.
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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.
Jensen, S., Rosenbloom, S., Beaumont, J., Abernethy, A., Jacobsen, P., Syrjala, K., & Cella, D. A new index of priority symptoms in advanced ovarian cancer. Gynecologic Oncology 2011; 120(2): 214-219. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2010.09.025.
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.
Shaunfield, s., Jensen, s., Fisher, A., Webster, K., Shahabi, S., Ganguli, A., & Cella, D. Further content validation of the 18-item NCCN/FACT Ovarian Symptom Index and its Disease Related Symptom-Physical (DRS-P) subscale for use in advanced ovarian cancer clinical trials. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2019; 17: 185. doi: 10.1186/s12955-019-1253-3.
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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