Translation and Validation of the Comprehensive Score of Financial Toxicity for Cancer Patients Into Arabic.

Background and Purpose: We aimed to translate the Comprehensive Score of Financial Toxicity (COST) questionnaire into Arabic and to evaluate its reliability and validity. Methods: We applied the four-step translation method and conducted a pilot validation study over 179 medical oncology patients. Reliability was tested using the Cronbach alpha coefficient and test-retest stability. Validity was tested using the correlation with Functional assessment of Cancer Therapy-General score (FACT-G), factorial analysis and the content validity index. Results: Questionnaire showed high internal consistency and test retest reliability; Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.77 and Pearson stability coefficient was 0.8. Convergent validity evaluation showed a statistically significant moderate correlation with the FACT-G (r = .42, p =.047). Content validly index was 0.93. Conclusions: The Arabic version of COST questionnaire, was a valid and reliable tool that could be used in clinical practice by healthcare providers to evaluate financial toxicity in Arab speaking cancer patients.

Self-medication with herbal medicine and breast cancer survival: a prospective monocentric study.

PURPOSE: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common among breast cancer patients, but less is known about whether CAM influences breast cancer survival. The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of self-use of herbs on the overall survival. METHODS: This was a prospective study including 110 patients with breast cancer. All patients were questioned about the concept of taking herbs. We analyzed the demographic data and the overall survival. RESULTS: The average age was 51 years (30-80 years old). 37 had metastatic disease (33.6%). 48 patients had taken plants (43.6%). 19 patients consumed Graviola (39.6%) and 29 Alenda (60.4%). Overall survival at 3 years and at 5 years were, respectively, 96.2% and 82.4% in the absence of plant consumption versus 78.5% and 78.5% in case of plant consumption (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that self-medication with Graviola or Alenda may be associated with an increase of death risk in patients with breast cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.