ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to assess, for the first time, the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life questionnaire (QLQ) cervical cancer module (CX24) in Chinese cervical cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred fifteen outpatients with cervical cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from May 2013 to July 2013 were included in this study. All participants self-administered the EORTC QLQ-CX24 and the core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the Karnofsky Performance Scale was performed to evaluate scores. Data were analyzed with Cronbach's α coefficient, Pearson correlation test, multitrait scaling analysis, and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Scale reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's α coefficients for internal consistency, which ranged from 0.71 to 0.82. Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed by multitrait scaling analysis, which revealed three (3.4%) scaling errors for symptom experience scales and zero (0%) for body image as well as sexual/vaginal functioning scales. Higher missing value rate occurred in sexuality-related items. The clinical validity of the Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 was demonstrated by the ability to discriminate among patients in different International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages. CONCLUSION: The EORTC QLQ-CX24 was proved to be a reliable and valid instrument with which to measure the quality of life in cervical cancer patients in the People's Republic of China.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the status of DACH1 gene promoter methylation and explore its association with the expression of DACH1 gene promoter methylation and clinical significance of endometrium carcinoma (EC). METHODS: From February 2004 to August 2008, a total of 80 EC tissue samples with comprehensive surgical pathology staging were collected and used for this study. Twenty normal endometrium tissues in 2008 were abstained from the fractional curettage because of dysfunctional uterine bleeding as control. All samples were confirmed pathologically. Methylation specific PCR (MSP) was performed to detect the promoter methylation of DACH1 gene, and analyze its influence on the expression of DACH1 and the relationship between DACH1 promoter methylation and clinicopathological factors in EC. DACH1 protein expression was detected by western blot. Chi-square test and Pearson test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The rate of promoter methylation of DACH1 gene in the EC tissues was significantly higher than that in the normal endometrium issues (30% vs. 5%, P < 0.05). There was an association between the expression of DACH1 and DACH1 gene promoter methylation (r = -0.30, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between the methylation of DACH1 and the pathological grade (P < 0.05) or histological type (P < 0.05). But DACH1 gene methylation was not related with the age, stage, myometrial invasion depth and lymphnode metastasis (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DACH1 gene promoter methylaion could lead to a decrease or absence in the DACH1 expression in EC. The promoter methylation of DACH1 gene may induce the inhibition of DACH1 expression, which might be one of the mechanisms of DACH1 gene inactivation in human EC.
