Assessment of Quality of Life among Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Quality of Life among Head and Neck Cancer Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v6i1.625Keywords:
cancer, head and neck, UW-QOL, quality of lifeAbstract
Objective: Head and neck cancer is a common malignancy with increasing incidence worldwide. This study evaluates the quality of life of the patients undergoing treatment at the oncology center in Yazd, Iran.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 29 patients with oral and head and neck cancer that were referred to the oncology center of Shahid Sadoughi hospital in Yazd between May 2015 and February 2016. Data were collected using the UW-QOL questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire. The illness-related information was obtained from the patients’ medical records. Questionnaires were administered before the treatment and 6 months after its completion. Data analysis was performed in SPSS 21 using chi-square and ANOVA tests. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: The sample consisted of 17 (58.6%) women and 12 (41.4%) men with a mean age of 40.00±14.30 years. The most frequent cancer location was the oral cavity and the most frequent treatment method was surgery. The mean score of quality of life before and after treatment was 12.60±2.81 and 11.39±2.63 respectively. The most important issues of the patients before and after treatment were pain and saliva respectively. Stage 3 and 4 patients had a significantly lower quality of life than stage 1 and 2 patients.
Conclusion: The study found that undergoing treatment affects some dimensions of quality of life. Hence, choosing the best treatment method with due attention to side effects and follow-up sessions is recommended.
References
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28. Kessler PA, Bloch-Birkholz A, Leher A, Neukam FW, Wiltfang J. Evaluation of quality of life of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Comparison of two treatment protocols in a prospective study. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2004;70(3):275-282.
29. Bjordal K, Ahlner-Elmqvist M, Hammerlid E, Boysen M, Evensen JF, Biörklund A, Jannert M, Westin T, Kaasa S. A prospective study of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. Part II: Longitudinal data. Laryngoscope. 2001 Aug;111(8):1440-52.
30. Lee Y-H, Lai Y-H, Yueh B, Chu P-Y, Chen Y-J, Chen S-C, et al. Validation of the University of Washington Quality of Life Chinese Version (UWQOL-C) for head and neck cancer patients in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc 2017;116(4):249-256.
31. Yucel B, Akkaş EA, Okur Y, Eren AA, Eren MF, Karapınar H, et al. The impact of radiotherapy on quality of life for cancer patients: a longitudinal study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2014;22(9):2479-2487.
32. Torabi M, Larizadeh M H, Safizadeh H, Karimi Afshar M ,Modares Ahmadi N. Quality of life and OHRQoL in head and neck cancer patients in Kerman, Iran. J Oral Health Oral Epidemiol 2012; 1(2): 78-82.
33. Hammerlid E, Bjordal K, Ahlner M. Prospectivestudy. Quality of life in head and neck patients.Laryngoscope 2001;111:669-680.
2. Oliveira KG, von Zeidler SV, Jose RV Podestá J RV, Sena A, Evandro D Souza ED, Jeferson Lenzi J, Bissoli N S , Gouvea SA. Influence of pain severity on the quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer before antineoplastic therapy. BMC Cancer. 2014 Jan 24; 14:39
3. Zevallos JP. International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium: Update No. 21. Head & Neck. 2016; 38:1447-1448.
4. Mantia IL,Rossitto F ,Andaloro C.Quality of life in head and neck cancer:Patients’ and family caregivers ‘perceptions.Egyptian journal of Ear ,NOSE, Throat and Allied Scences 2017;18(3):247-250
5. Awojobi O, Scott E S, Newton T. Patients’ perceptions of oral cancer screening in dental practice: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health 2012; 12:55-63.
6. Elango K J, Anandkrishnan N, Suresh A, Iyer S K, RamaIyer SK, Kuriakose M A. Mouth self-examination to improve oral cancer awareness and early detection in a high-risk population. Oral Oncology 2011; 47 : 620–624.
7. Ehrsson Y T, Langius-Eklöf A, Laurell G.Nutritional surveillance and weight loss in head and neck cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 2012; 20:757–765
8. Meyer F, Fortin A, Gélinas M, Nabid A, Brochet F, Têtu B, Bairati I.Health-Related Quality of Life As a Survival Predictor for Patients With Localized Head and Neck Cancer Treated With Radiation Therapy. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 20;27(18):2970-6
9. Quality of life in patients treated for cancer of the oral cavity requiring reconstruction: a prospective study.Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2008;28:120-125
10. Zwahlen RA, Dannemann C, Grätz KW, Studer G, Zwahlen D, Moergeli H, et al. Quality of life and
psychiatric morbidity in patients successfully treated for oral carity sguamous cell cancer and their wives. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2008;66(6):1125-32.
11. Boyapati RP, Shah KC, Flood V, Stassen LF. Quality of life outcome measures using UW-QOL questionnaire v4 in early oral cancer/squamous cell cancer resections of the tongue and floor of mouth with reconstruction solely using local methods. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2013 Sep;51(6):502-7
12. Agarwal SK, Munjal M, Koul R, Agarwal R. Prospective evaluation of the quality of life of oral tongue cancer patients before and after the treatment. Ann Palliat Med. 2014 Oct;3(4):238-43.
13. Chen AM, Daly ME, Farwell DG, Vazquez E, Courquin J Lau DH Purdy JA. Quality of life among long-term survivors of head and neck cancer treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Feb;140(2):129-33.
14. Crombie AK, Farah CS, Batstone MD. Health-related quality of life of patients treated with primary chemoradiotherapy for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: a comparison with surgery. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2014 Feb;52(2):111-7
15. Van Nieuwenhuizen AJ, Buffart LM, Brug J, Leemans CR, Verdonck-de Leeuw IM.
The association between health related quality of life and survival in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review. Oral Oncol. 2015 Jan;51(1):1-11
16. Villaret AB, Cappiello J, Piazza C, Pedruzzi B, Nicolai P. Quality of life in patients treated for cancer of the oral cavity requiring reconstruction: a prospective study. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2008; 28:120-125.
17. Hassan SJ, Weymuller EA. Assessment of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. Head Neck 1993; 15: 485-496.
18. Van der Meulen IC, May AM, de Leeuw JRJ , Koole R, Oosterom M, et al. Long-term effect of a nurse-led psychosocial intervention on health-related quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Cancer .2014; 110: 593–601.
19. Parkin DM, Bray FI, Devesa SS: Cancer burden in the year 2000. The global picture. Eur J Cancer 2001;37(8): 4–66.
20. Kumar P, Alvi HA, Rao J, Singh BP, Jurel SK, Kumar L, Aggarwal H.Assessment of the quality of life in maxillectomy patients: A longitudinal study. J Adv Prosthodont. 2013 Feb;5(1):29-35.
21. Østhus AA, Aarstad AK, Olofsson J, Aarstad HJ. Prediction of survival by pretreatment health-related quality-of-life scores in a prospective cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2013;139(1):14-20.
22. Chiou WY, Lee MS, Ho HC, Hung SK, Lin HY, Su YC, etal. Prognostic fators and the relationship of depression and quality of life in head and neck cancer. Indian J Cancer. 2013;50(1):14-20
23. Gandhi AK, Roy S, Thakar A, Sharma A, Mohanti BK. Symptom Burden and Quality of Life in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Patients: AIIMS Study of 100 Patients. Indian J Palliat Care. 2014 Sep;20(3):189-93
24. Connelly ST, Schmidt BL: Evaluation of pain in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Pain 2004, 5:505–510.
25. Cuffari L, de Tesseroli SJT, Nemr K, Rapaport A: Pain complaint as the first symptom of oral cancer: a descriptive study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2006, 102:56–61.
26. Epstein JB, Emerton S, Kolbinson DA, Le ND, Phillips N, Stevenson-Moore P, Osoba D: Quality of life and oral function following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Head Neck 1999, 21:1–11.
27. Wan Leung S, Lee TF ,Chien C, Chao PJ, Tsai WL Fang FM. Health-related Quality of life in 640 head and neck cancer survivors after radiotherapy using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires. BMC Cancer 2011; 11:128-135.
28. Kessler PA, Bloch-Birkholz A, Leher A, Neukam FW, Wiltfang J. Evaluation of quality of life of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Comparison of two treatment protocols in a prospective study. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2004;70(3):275-282.
29. Bjordal K, Ahlner-Elmqvist M, Hammerlid E, Boysen M, Evensen JF, Biörklund A, Jannert M, Westin T, Kaasa S. A prospective study of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. Part II: Longitudinal data. Laryngoscope. 2001 Aug;111(8):1440-52.
30. Lee Y-H, Lai Y-H, Yueh B, Chu P-Y, Chen Y-J, Chen S-C, et al. Validation of the University of Washington Quality of Life Chinese Version (UWQOL-C) for head and neck cancer patients in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc 2017;116(4):249-256.
31. Yucel B, Akkaş EA, Okur Y, Eren AA, Eren MF, Karapınar H, et al. The impact of radiotherapy on quality of life for cancer patients: a longitudinal study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2014;22(9):2479-2487.
32. Torabi M, Larizadeh M H, Safizadeh H, Karimi Afshar M ,Modares Ahmadi N. Quality of life and OHRQoL in head and neck cancer patients in Kerman, Iran. J Oral Health Oral Epidemiol 2012; 1(2): 78-82.
33. Hammerlid E, Bjordal K, Ahlner M. Prospectivestudy. Quality of life in head and neck patients.Laryngoscope 2001;111:669-680.
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Published
2020-02-26
How to Cite
Rafie, F., Torabi, M., Taheri, A., & Mellat, Z. (2020). Assessment of Quality of Life among Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Quality of Life among Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Journal of Contemporary Medical Sciences, 6(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v6i1.625
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