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. 2011;16(10):1469-78.
doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2011-0033. Epub 2011 Sep 30.

HFS-14, a specific quality of life scale developed for patients suffering from hand-foot syndrome

Vincent Sibaud  1 , Florence Dalenc, Christine Chevreau, Henri Roché, Jean-Pierre Delord, Loïc Mourey, Jean-Louis Lacaze, Nora Rahhali, Charles Taïeb
Affiliations

HFS-14, a specific quality of life scale developed for patients suffering from hand-foot syndrome

Vincent Sibaud et al. Oncologist. 2011.

Abstract

Background: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common reaction to certain chemotherapies and new targeted therapies, impairing patient quality of life (QoL). However, there is currently no specific tool to measure QoL in patients with HFS. Objective. The objective was to develop and validate a HFS-specific QoL questionnaire (HFS-14).

Patients and methods: From a list of 31 items identified from a literature review and patient interview notes, item reduction and pilot testing by cognitive debriefing resulted in a final 14-item questionnaire with excellent internal reliability. Clinical validity was assessed in 43 patients with HFS by comparing the HFS-14 score according to HFS clinical grade based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 3.0, and by measuring its correlation with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Skindex-16, and short-form 12 health-related questionnaires and pain measurement.

Results: The mean HFS-14 score was significantly higher in patients with clinical grade 2 and grade 3 HFS than in those with grade 1 HFS. The higher the HFS-14 score, the greater the QoL impairment. The HFS-14 score was highly correlated with the DLQI and Skindex-16 scores. In the population of patients with severe grade 3 NCI-CTCAE HFS, the HFS-14 score was significantly higher in patients having both hands and feet severely involved than in those with severe involvement of one limb (hands or feet) with the other one less severely affected.

Conclusions: This scale specifically developed for patients with HFS is a valid and valuable tool for measuring HFS-related QoL impairment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures: Vincent Sibaud: None; Florence Dalenc: None; Christine Chevreau: None; Henri Roché: None; Jean-Pierre Delord: None; Loïc Mourey: None; Jean-Louis Lacaze: None; Nora Rahhali: None; Charles Taïeb: None.

The content of this article has been reviewed by independent peer reviewers to ensure that it is balanced, objective, and free from commercial bias. No financial relationships relevant to the content of this article have been disclosed by the authors or independent peer reviewers.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Final hand–foot syndrome (HFS)-14 questionnaire.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Diffuse hand–foot syndrome (HFS) induced by capecitabine (A, B) and HFS induced by sorafenib (C, D), with inflammatory lesions on pressure areas and interphalangeal joints.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Comparison of mean HFS-14 scores in patients with various grades of HFS severity according to the NCI-CTCAE (version 3.0). Tukey's test comparison with grade 1: ****p < .0001; ***p < .001. Abbreviations: HFS, hand–foot syndrome; NCI-CTCAE, National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Correlation between HFS-14 score and DLQI and Skindex-16 scores. (A): Scatterplot of HFS-14 and DLQI scores. (B): Scatterplot of HFS-14 and Skindex-16 scores. Abbreviations: DLQI, Dermatology Life Quality Index; HFS, hand–foot syndrome.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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