Table 1.

Examples of quality of life questionnaires used to assess quality of life in patients with esophageal cancer

Category	Type of questionnaire	Advantages	Disadvantages
Generic	SF-36	Good psychometric properties
	EQ-5D	Reliable	Limited number of domains
Cancer-specific	Spitzer QoL index	Brief and easy to complete	Limited number of domains
			Ceiling effect
	EORTC QLQ C30	Fully validated	Site-specific modules may add to patient burden
		The most widely used specific instrument
		Clinical significance assessed
	HAD scale	Well validated and widely used with RSCL	Only assesses anxiety and depression
EC-specific	EORTC QLQ-OES18	Fully validated	Needs to be used with QLQ-C30
	EORTC QLQ-STO22	Fully validated	Limited supporting psychometric data
	FACT-E	Provides overall summary score

Modified from Conroy et al[55]. SF-36: Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey; HAD: Hospital Anxiety and Depression; QoL: Quality of life; EORTC QLQ: European Organization for Research and Treatment QoL Questionnaire; FACT: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy.