Development of a questionnaire assessing health-related quality-of-life in dogs and cats with cancer

Vet Comp Oncol. 2011 Sep;9(3):172-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5829.2010.00244.x. Epub 2010 Sep 10.

Abstract

Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) has been studied extensively in human medicine. There is currently no standard HRQoL evaluation for veterinary oncology patients. The aim of this study was to assess the practicality, usefulness and robustness, from a pet owner and clinician perspective, of a questionnaire for the assessment of HRQoL in canine and feline cancer patients. A HRQoL assessment entitled 'Cancer Treatment Form' and two questionnaires entitled 'Owner Minitest' and 'Clinician Minitest' were designed. The first and second were completed by owners of patients presenting to a veterinary oncology referral service and the third by attending clinicians. The 'Cancer Treatment Form' was well received by owners and clinicians and provided a valuable assessment of HRQoL with 98% (82/84) of owners reporting an accurate reflection of their pet's quality-of-life. Following this, minor improvements to the form could be suggested prior to regular use in evaluation of clinical oncology patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Animal Welfare
  • Animals
  • Cat Diseases*
  • Cats
  • Dog Diseases*
  • Dogs
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / psychology
  • Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Pets*
  • Quality of Life
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Veterinary Medicine / methods*