Quality of life assessment instruments for radiodermatitis in cancer patients: scoping review

Objective: to map the literature on skin-related quality of life questionnaires and assessment tools applied to cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy who developed radiodermatitis.

Method: scoping review conducted in accordance with JBI recommendations. The search was conducted in seven sources of information and in the grey literature. There were no restrictions on the publication period or language of the articles. A qualitative synthesis of the data was performed, presented descriptively and through tables and figures.

Results: thirty-two studies were included, most of which were from North America (n=14). The instruments used to assess skin-related quality of life were: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (n=17), Skindex-16 (n=11), Skindex-29 (n=1), and Padua Skin-Related Quality of Life (n=1). The most frequently applied instruments were the Dermatology Life Quality Index and Skindex-16, used predominantly in patients with breast cancer.

Conclusion: different instruments used to assess skin-related quality of life in patients with radiodermatitis were identified, with emphasis on Skindex-16 and DLQI. The diversity of tools points to the absence of consolidated guidelines on the choice of the best instrument to be implemented in this clinical context.

Descriptors:
Quality of Life; Skin; Radiodermatitis; Radiotherapy; Neoplasms; Review

Highlights:

(1) DLQI, Skindex-16, Skindex-19, and PRSQ are specific instruments for radiodermatitis. (2) Skindex-16 assesses mental and emotional aspects more efficiently than DLQI. (3) The choice of instrument should consider the specificities and needs of the skin.