Assessing cancer-related symptoms requires a brief, reliable, valid, and culturally adapted symptom screening tool. In the Philippines, cancer patients (n = 206) and community-dwelling adults (n = 170) participated in a cross-sectional validation study of the Filipino version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-F). Both exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed two underlying symptom severity constructs—general and gastrointestinal symptoms—consistent with the English, Japanese, and Chinese versions of the MDASI. Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.79 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrated acceptable internal consistency for the two factors. Known-group validity was confirmed by significant differences on MDASI-F items by performance status (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). Fatigue, sadness, distress, and pain were significant predictors of symptom interference. Cancer patients reported significantly greater symptom severity on multiple items than did the community sample. The MDASI-F is reliable and valid for evaluating cancer-related symptoms and their impact on Filipino cancer patients.
