Translation and Linguistic Validation of BIS (Body Image Scale) for Breast Cancer Patients in India.

A number of PROMs (patient-reported outcome measures) have been developed and validated for English-speaking populations but with limited utility in non-English-speaking countries. Body image scale (BIS) is a type of PROM which assesses the changes in the body image of a patient diagnosed with cancer. The current study was carried out to translate the BIS in Hindi and Marathi. Out of the 10 questions in the BIS questionnaire, Hindi and Marathi translations were already available for 4 questions (Questions no. 2, 4, 5, and 9) from the EORTC BR23 questionnaire. Remaining questions were translated using the EORTC translation manual, which includes forward translation, reconciliation, backward translation, proofreading, and pilot testing. Pilot testing done on 10 patients each for Hindi and Marathi showed at least 80% acceptability for all the questions for both Hindi and Marathi translations. Both the translated versions will be used for validation in a large cohort of breast cancer patients. The Hindi and Marathi versions of the BIS have very good acceptability and can be utilized for clinical trials once validated in cancer patients.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13193-024-02037-2.