Sahin Kabay
Journal of Urological Surgery - 2025;12(4):249-258
Objective: This study aimed to culturally adapt the Turkish version of the expanded prostate cancer index composite (EPIC) questionnaire form, which evaluates post-treatment functions in prostate cancer (PCa) patients, to investigate whether it is reliable, valid, and usable, and to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) characteristics of patients who have used different treatment methods. Materials and Methods: To create the Turkish version of the EPIC questionnaire form, we used cultural adaptation for language translation and conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to determine its validity and reliability. Results: A total of 423 patients diagnosed with PCa who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, or robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, and received radiotherapy and/or hormonal treatment in addition to surgery were included in this study. In our study, Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated as 0.919 for urinary function, 0.901 for bowel habits, 0.930 for sexual function, 0.940 for hormonal function, and 0.813 for the general questionnaire form. Conclusion: The EPIC questionnaire was successfully translated into Turkish and was culturally adapted. The resultant Turkish version has high reliability and validity and will be an important tool for QoL research in the population. EPIC was successfully translated, culturally adapted, and validated with high reliability and validity into Turkish. It will be a valuable QoL tool for physicians in clinical and research settings, and for patients in decision-making. It can also be considered an objective reference to compare various treatment modalities related to PCa.
