EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire – QLQ-C30
A multi-dimensional self-report questionnaire designed to assess the health-related quality of life of cancer patients.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire – QLQ-C30 was developed by Neil K. Aaronson, Marianne Bullinger, Sam H. Ahmedzai (1993). It is designed to measure Health-Related Quality of Life. The scale is intended for use with Cancer patients.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 15 factors/subscales: Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, Emotional Functioning, Cognitive Functioning, Social Functioning, Global Health Status / QoL, Fatigue, Nausea and Vomiting, Pain, Dyspnea, Sleep Disturbance, Appetite Loss, Constipation, Diarrhea, Financial Difficulties.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Functioning | 1,2,3,4,5 | 5 |
| Role Functioning | 6,7 | 2 |
| Emotional Functioning | 21,22,23,24 | 4 |
| Cognitive Functioning | 20,25 | 2 |
| Social Functioning | 26,27 | 2 |
| Global Health Status / QoL | 29,30 | 2 |
| Fatigue | 10,12,18 | 3 |
| Nausea and Vomiting | 14,15 | 2 |
| Pain | 9,19 | 2 |
| Dyspnea | 8 | 1 |
| Sleep Disturbance | 11 | 1 |
| Appetite Loss | 13 | 1 |
| Constipation | 16 | 1 |
| Diarrhea | 17 | 1 |
| Financial Difficulties | 28 | 1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at All, 2 = A Little, 3 = Quite a Bit, 4 = Very Much.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- All scales are linearly transformed to a 0-100 scale. For functional and global scales, higher scores represent better functioning/QoL. For symptom scales, higher scores represent higher symptom severity.: 0 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.50 – 0.90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.