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Abstract
The Memorial Syptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) is a new patient-rated instrument that
was developed to provide multidimensional information about a diverse group of common
symptoms. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MSAS in the cancer
population. Randomly selected inpatients and outpatients (n = 246) with prostate, colon, breast or ovarian cancer were assessed using the MSAS
and a battery of measures that independently evaluate phenomena related to quality
of life. Symptom prevalence in the 218 evaluable patients ranged from 73.9% for lack
of energy to 10.6% for difficulty swallowing. Based on a content analysis, three symptoms
were deleted and two were added; the revised scale evaluates 32 physical and psychological
symptoms. A factor analysis of variance yielded two factors that distinguished three
major symptom groups and several subgroups. The major groups comprised psychological
symptoms (PSYCH), high prevalence physical symptoms (PHYS H), and low prevalence physical
symptoms (PHYS L). Internal consistency was high in the PHYS H and PSYCH groups (Cronback
α coefficients of 0.88 and 0.83, respectively), and moderate in the PHYS L group (α
= 0.58). Although the severity, frequency and distress dimensions were highly intercorrelated,
canonical correlations and other analyses demonstrated that multidimensional assessment
(frequency and distress) augments information about the impact of symptoms. High correlations
with clinical status and quality of life measures support the validity of the MSAS
and indicate the utility of several subscale scores, including PSYCH, PHYS, and a
brief Global Distress Index. The MSAS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment
of symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress. It provides a method for comprehensive
symptom assessment that may be useful when information about symptoms is desirable,
such as clinical trials that incorporate quality of life measures or studies of symptom
epidemiology.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 7,
1994
Received in revised form:
November 22,
1993
Identification
Copyright
© 1994 Published by Elsevier Inc.
