To what extent does the EQ-5D-3L correlate with the FACT-H&N of patients with oral cancer during the perioperative period?

Background The EuroQol 5-dimension scale (EQ-5D) is one of the most frequently used preference-based quality of life (QOL) measures for health technology assessment. The 3-level version of the EQ-5D comprises a descriptive system (the EQ-5D-3L) and a visual analog scale (EQ-VAS). It remains unclear whether this five-item scale correlates with the QOL of patients with oral cancer during the perioperative period. We sought to clarify this point in the present study. Methods Participants were 84 patients with oral malignancies who underwent radical treatment and completed the EQ-5D-3L and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT-H&N) at regular intervals over 3 months after treatment. We analyzed the correlations between the EQ-5D-3L, EQ-VAS, and FACT-H&N, and conducted multiple regression analyses to examine how the FACT-H&N subscales relate to the EQ-5D-3L and EQ-VAS. We also investigated whether the EQ-5D-3L shows ceiling effects. Results The EQ-5D-3L and EQ-VAS were strongly correlated with the FACT-H&N (r(s) = 0.621 and 0.638, respectively; P<0.01). Furthermore, the EQ-5D-3L was significantly related with all FACT-H&N subscales except for social/family well-being. Particularly, the physical well-being subscale had the strongest relationship with the EQ-5D-3L. The FACT H&N and EQ-5D-3L showed similar changes over time. The EQ-5D-3L did not have a ceiling effect statistically. Conclusions Our results indicate that actual physical performance might be most important for cost-utility analysis, whereas the assessment of familial feelings or friendship seems less important. However, the EQ-5D-3L appears to generally correlate with the FACT-H&N of patients with oral cancer during the perioperative period. Therefore, it is reasonable to assess the cost performance of oral cancer treatment using the EQ-5D-3L in Japan.