Reliability and a correlational analysis of the 6MWT, ten-meter walk test, thirty second sit to stand, and the linear analog scale of function in patients with head and neck cancer

Abstract

The 6MWT, 10MWT, 30STS, and LASF are reliable measurement instruments for patients treated for HNC. The 6MWT, 10MWT, and 30STS are significantly correlated suggesting they may measure subconstructs of physical function. The LASF does not correlate significantly with the 6MWT, 10MWT and 30STS in this sample.

Reproducibility of measurements on physical performance in head and neck cancer survivors; measurements on maximum mouth opening, shoulder and neck function, upper and lower body strength, level of physical mobility, and walking ability

“…The ICC found for the 30SCST (ICC 0.92) is in line with previous research investigating HNC patients (ICC 0.95) [ 25 ] and a study investigating community-dwelling adults (ICC 0.84 men, ICC 0.92 women) [ 33 ]. This indicates that the 30SCST can differentiate in functional lower body strength between sHNC.…”

“…The ICC found for the 30SCST (ICC 0.92) is in line with previous research investigating HNC patients (ICC 0.95) [25] and a study investigating community-dwelling adults (ICC 0.84 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233271.g004…”

“…Insight into agreement parameters is important because it provides information on the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and the Smallest Detectable Change (SDC) which are essential for clinical interpretation of the (re)assessment of sHNC. Up to now, this core set of measurements was primarily studied on reliability in other patient populations or included in a case mix of sHNC and HNC patients still undergoing treatment [ 22 – 25 ]. Therefore, this study aims to examine the reliability, by investigating test-retest reproducibility, SEM, and SDC, of a core set of measurements on physical performance in sHNC.…”

Cancer-related fatigue stratification system based on patient-reported outcomes and objective outcomes: A cancer-related fatigue ambulatory index

“…A potential assessment tool to compliment PRO measures of fatigue is the 30 second sit-to-stand (30-STS) test [25]. By assessing number of repetitions completed, it has been used in the evaluation of functional fitness levels [26] and in rehabilitation [27], including use in the oncology setting to measure lower extremity endurance in prostate cancer [28], head and neck cancer [29] and breast cancer survivors [30,31].…”

Comment on “Effect of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Versus Intra-articular Injections of Hyaluronic Acid for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis”

“…Actually, the relevant therapies dedicated to osteoarthritis should be not directed only on pain management and relief as the main target, but any therapeutic strategy should also involve techniques that are specifically focused on the patient's functional status and disability. From these considerations, we appreciate the author's choice to include the measurement of the 40-m fast-paced walk test, and stair-climb test in their study, but once again, we would like to underline the importance of the use an objective tool as a relevant gait analysis, in order to guarantee a precise evaluation that could be used also during this kind of testing or to accurately measure other motor tasks [ 4 ].…”