MDASI Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Module
The MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (MDASI-GIST) is a disease-specific MDASI module. Use the MDASI-GIST to assess the severity of symptoms experienced by patients with gastrointestinal stromal 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-GIST also assesses 9 symptoms specific to gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
| Core MDASI Symptoms | GIST Symptoms | MDASI Interference |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | General weakness | Relations with other people |
| Fatigue | Diarrhea (loose stools) | Enjoyment of life |
| Nausea | Muscle soreness or cramping | Mood |
| Disturbed sleep | Skin problems | Walking |
| Distress (feeling upset) | Malaise (not feeling well) | Activity |
| Shortness of breath | Swelling of hands, legs, feet, or around eyes | Work (including housework) |
| Difficulty remembering | Abdominal discomfort | |
| Lack of appetite | Abdominal swelling or fullness | |
| Drowsiness | Bruising easily or bleeding | |
| Dry mouth | ||
| Sadness | ||
| Vomiting | ||
| Numbness/tingling |
Order the MDASI-GIST
MDASI-GIST Features
- Purpose: To assess the severity of multiple symptoms related to gastrointestinal stromal tumors and the impact of these symptoms on daily functioning
- Population: Patients with symptoms caused by gastrointestinal stromal 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 0.88 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-GIST 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 |
|---|---|
| English |
MDASI User's 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-GIST References
Validation
Williams LA, Araujo DM, Sailors MH, et al. Longitudinal symptom burden of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors [abstract]. Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO) 2012 International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer, New York NY, Jun 28-30, 2012. Supp Care Cancer 20(Suppl 1): S266, 2012; Abstract # 1113.
Williams LA, Araujo DM, Mendoza TR, et al. A new symptom measure in gastrointestinal stromal tumors [abstract]. American Society of Clinical Oncology 49th Annual Meeting, Chicago IL, May 31 - Jun 4, 2013. J Clin Oncol 31(15 Suppl), 2013; Abstract # e17508.
Cleeland CS, Mendoza TR, Wang XS, et al. Assessing symptom distress in cancer: the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory. Cancer 89:1634-1646, 2000.
Clinical Application
Williams LA, Araujo DM, Shi Q, et al. Symptoms in gastrointestinal stromal tumors [abstract]. American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 50th Annual Meeting, Chicago IL, May 30 - Jun 3, 2014. J Clin Oncol 32(15 Suppl), 2014; Abstract # 9637.
Williams LA, Shi Q, Mendoza TR, et al. Patient retention and response in longitudinal patient-reported outcomes studies using a telephone interactive voice response system [abstract]. International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) 21st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, Oct 15-18, 2014. Qual Life Res 23(1 Supplement): 179-181, 2014; Abstract # 3084.
Every MDASI module contains:
all 13 core MDASI 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
A major barrier to effective symptom management in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is inadequate assessment.
We developed the MDASI-GIST as a short, valid, reliable patient-reported outcome measure of GIST symptoms for research and practice.
Loretta A. Williams, Ph.D., RN, AOCN
Associate Professor, Symptom Research