MDASI Brain Tumor Module
The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for brain tumor (MDASI-BT) is a site-specific module. Use the MDASI-BT to assess the severity of symptoms experienced by patients with brain tumors and the interference with daily living caused by these symptoms.
Along with the core MDASI¡¯s 13 symptom items and 6 interference items, the MDASI-BT also assesses 9 symptoms specific to brain tumors.
| Core MDASI Symptoms | Brain Tumor Symptoms | MDASI Interference |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | Weakness on one side of body | Relations with other people |
| Fatigue | Difficulty understanding | Enjoyment of life |
| Nausea | Difficulty speaking | Mood |
| Disturbed sleep | Seizures | Walking |
| Distress (feeling upset) | Difficulty concentrating | Activity |
| Shortness of breath | Change in bowel pattern (diarrhea or constipation) | Work (including housework) |
| Difficulty remembering | Change in appearance | |
| Lack of appetite | Problems with vision | |
| Drowsiness | Irritability | |
| Dry mouth | ||
| Sadness | ||
| Vomiting | ||
| Numbness/tingling |
Order the MDASI-BT
MDASI-BT Features
- Purpose: To assess the severity of multiple brain tumor-related symptoms and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning
- Population: Patients with symptoms caused by brain tumors and their treatment
- Assessment areas: Severity of multiple symptoms and the impact of symptoms on daily functioning during the last 24 hours
- Method: Self-report or interview with research staff; paper-and-pencil or electronic data entry*
- Time required: Five minutes or less
- Scoring: Please see the MDASI User Guide
- Reliability: Cronbach alpha reliability ranges from 0.67 to 0.91
*Electronic data capture offers several benefits:
- Allows symptom monitoring when the patient is away from the hospital
- Is convenient for patients, who can choose web access, personalized patient portals, or smartphones to access questionnaires
- Minimizes missing data, especially in longitudinal studies
- Provides accurate, real-time symptom data at expected time points
- Generates immediate feedback, potentially allowing caregivers to address severe symptoms more effectively
MDASI-BT Language Versions
Click on a linked language to view a sample in PDF format.
Don't see a language you need? Contact us at symptomresearch@mdanderson.org.
| Psychometrically and Linguistically Validated | Linguistically Validated |
|---|---|
| Danish | Afrikaans |
| English | Arabic |
| Japanese | Bengali (in process) |
| Chinese (Simplified) | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | |
| Chinese (Traditional - Hong Kong) | |
| Croatian | |
| Dutch | |
| French | |
| French (Canada) | |
| German | |
| Hebrew | |
| Hindi (in process) | |
| Italian | |
| Korean | |
| Marthi (in process) | |
| Polish | |
| Portuguese (Brazil) |
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| Portuguese (Portugal) |
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| Russian | |
| Spanish | |
| Swedish | |
| Tamil (in process) | |
| Thai | |
| Turkish |
MDASI User Guide
In response to the US Food and Drug Administration's 2009 guidance for the pharmaceutical industry on the use of patient-reported outcomes measures in medical product development to support labeling claims, we have prepared a MDASI User Guide to document the development and psychometric properties of the MDASI and its modules. The User Guide addresses the recommendations in the FDA guidance and establishes the MDASI's adequacy as a measure to support medical product claims.
Selected MDASI-BT References
Validation
Armstrong TS, Mendoza T, Gning I, et al. J Neurooncol 80(1): 27-35, 2006.
Piil K, Whisenant M, Mendoza T, et al. Neurooncol Pract 8(2):137-147, 2020.
Tanaka S, Sato I, Takahashi M, et al. Jpn J Clin Oncol 50(7):787-793, 2020.
Armstrong TS, Cohen M, Eriksen L, Cleeland C. Oncol Nurs Forum 32(3):669-676, 2005.
Cleeland CS, Mendoza TR, Wang XS, et al. Cancer 89:1634-1646, 2000.
Clinical Application
Brady K, Cohen AL. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. Online Oct 2, 2023.
Rogers JL, Vera E, Acquaye A, et al. Neurooncol Pract 8(4):460-474, 2021.
Wefel JS, Armstrong TS, Pugh SL, et al. Neuro Oncol 23(7):1125-1138, 2021.
Pollom EL, Fujimoto D, Wynne J, et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 98(1): 123-130, 2017.
Armstrong TS, Wefel JS, Wang M, et al. J Clin Oncol 31(32): 4076-4084, 2013.
Armstrong TS, Wefel JS, Gning I, et al. Cancer 118(20): 5026-5037, 2012.
Armstrong TS, Vera-Bolanos E, Gning I, et al. Cancer 117(14): 3222-3228, 2011.
Armstrong TS, Gning I, Mendoza TR, et al. J Pain Symptom Manage 37(3): 331-340, 2009.
Methodology
Wang Y, Zhang J, Luo C, et al. Front Oncol 13:1153455, 2023.
Bergsneider BH, Vera E, Gal O, et al. Neurooncol Adv 5(1):vdac188, 2022.
Merrell RT, Simon KC, Martinez N, et al. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes 5(3):625-634, 2021.
Armstrong TS, Vera-Bolanos E, Acquaye AA, et al. Neuro Oncol 18(2): 252-260, 2016.
Armstrong TS, Vera-Bolanos E, Acquaye A, et al. Neurooncol Pract 1(2): 55-63, 2014.
Lin L, Chiang HH, Acquaye AA, et al. Cancer 119(15): 2796-2806, 2013.
Every MDASI module contains:
all 13 MDASI core symptoms...
pain, fatigue, nausea, disturbed sleep, distress, shortness of breath, difficulty remembering, lack of appetite, drowsiness, dry mouth, sadness, vomiting, numbness/tingling
...and all 6 MDASI interference items
general activity, mood, work, relations with others, walking, enjoyment of life
Cancer patients with central nervous system tumors are a unique group because of the neurological nature of their symptoms, which affect their functional abilities, social interactions and emotional well-being ¡ª and thus their quality of life.
Terri S. Armstrong, Ph.D.
Senior Investigator, NCI