The utility of the MDASI-BT in assessing symptoms in patients with brain metastases

2052 Background: Symptom occurrence has been shown to predict treatment course and survival in patients with solid tumors. The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT) was recently validated in patients with primary brain. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MDASI-BT as well as symptom severity and prevalence in patients with brain metastases. Methods: Patients diagnosed with systemic cancer with brain metastases participated in this cross-sectional study. Data collection included demographic and clinical factors, and the MDASI-BT (0–10 scale). The average for the 22 symptoms and 6 interference items scores the MDASI-BT was computed. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, and known-group validity was evaluated by detecting group differences due to disease severity and performance status. For reliability, Cronbach’s alpha values were computed for each subscale. Results: A sample of 124 patients participated, of which 53.2% females. Par...