Validation and reliability of distress thermometer in Chinese cancer patients

Abstract

The data suggest that DT has acceptable overall accuracy and reliability as a screening tool for testing distress severity and specific problems causing distress in Chinese cancer patients. It is worth being used in oncology clinic, the rapid screening and interview could help caregivers to identify psychological and psychiatric problems of cancer patients and provide useful information for further treatment.

The Influence of Chemotherapy-Induced Neurotoxicity on Psychological Distress and Sleep Sisturbance in Cancer Patients

“…Some studies have determined that a cut-off score of 4 or greater indicates distress 40,41 . The validity of the Chinese version of the dt was confirmed in a previous study 42 .…”

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Distress Thermometer in Screening for Distress in Long-Term Nasopharyngeal Cancer Survivors

“…Some studies have suggested that a cut-off score of 4 or more indicates distress 35,36 ; others support a cutoff score of 5 or more 24 . The validity of the Chinese version of the dt was confirmed in a previous study 37 .…”

“…Cancer survivors might therefore be reluctant to admit to psychological distress and might give low scores to hide their true feelings 42 . However, Tang et al 37 suggested that the Chinese version of the dt has a good sensitivity and specificity in Chinese patients with cancer, which indicates that cultural differences may not be the main reason for the low sensitivity of the dt in our cohort of cancer survivors. However, the cohort studied by Tang et al and the population analyzed in our study were heterogeneous.…”

Preoperative psychological distress, coping and quality of life in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer

“…A DT score of 4 or above is considered an internationally accepted indicator of clinically significant distress for patients who need support (Tang et al . , Donovan et al . ).…”