These researchers asked
the women to compare their recollections of their physical,
psychological or sexual functioning before their surgery and
how they felt subsequently, thus serving as their own control.
Green et al. (2000) also incorporated an assessment of change
in body image with a study of sexual functioning. However
retrospective data such as that presented in these studies is
weak, as women may be unable to provide accurate details of
the time prior to the onset of any symptoms that may have
affected their functioning. The study by Janda et al. (2005)
assessed the reliability and validity of the functional assessment
of cancer therapy using the vulvar (FACT-V) quality of
life tool.
Several authors incorporated an assessment of the information
that the women had received, to assess the quality of
the information received, the time it was given and the
importance it had for the women and her partner