Reliability and concurrent validity of the Courage Kenny-Fibrosis Grading Scale for breast or head and neck cancer-related fibrosis.

This article focuses on the development and validation of the Courage Kenny-Fibrosis Grading Scale, a new measure designed to assess cancer treatment-related fibrosis in survivors of breast and head/neck cancer. The scale was refined through expert clinician and researcher input to establish face validity and tested for inter- and intra-rater reliability and concurrent validity in 41 cancer survivors undergoing rehabilitation. Results demonstrated adequate reliability (inter-rater ICC = 0.810; intra-rater ICC = 0.941) and moderate concurrent validity with established fibrosis measures, supporting its clinical feasibility and relevance. The scale incorporates both patient-reported symptoms (tissue stiffness, pain, functional impact) and clinician-rated items (superficial tissue mobility, joint mobility, edema), addressing gaps in existing tools by including functional and symptomatic assessments. Further research is recommended to evaluate sensitivity to change and applicability in more diverse populations.