Psychometric assessment of the Concerns about Late Effects in Oncology Questionnaire (CLEO) among female breast cancer survivors

ObjectiveThe Concerns about Late Effects in Oncology (CLEO) questionnaire was developed to measure concerns cancer survivors may have about late effects. The current study sought to assess the Concerns about Late Effects in Oncology’s (CLEO) psychometric properties – factor structure, construct validity, discriminatory power, and internal consistency.Methods147 breast cancer survivors completed a survey. Factor structure was determined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Construct validity was assessed against fear of cancer recurrence, anxiety, depression, quality of life, and neuroticism. Discriminatory power was assessed against participants’ age and clinical characteristics.ResultsThe EFA confirmed a 4-factor structure; health professionals’ support, psychological impacts, adapting, and daily functional impacts. There was only partial support for construct validity and discriminatory power. The CLEO demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach’s α = 0.87 (health professionals’ support: α = 0.89, psychological impacts: α = 0.93, adapting: α = 0.82, and daily functional impacts: α = 0.89).ConclusionThe findings suggest further development of the CLEO should focus on the psychological and functional impacts of late effects.Practice implicationsUse of the CLEO may enhance communication about the impact of late effects, ensuring earlier identification and management of late effects in this population.