Health-related quality of life in 640 head and neck cancer survivors after radiotherapy using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

With the advances in modern radiotherapy (RT), many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) can be effectively cured, and their health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) has become an important issue. In this study, we evaluated the prognosticators of HR-QoL in a large cohort of HNC patients, with a focus on the result from technological advances in RT.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional investigation was conducted to assess the HR-QoL of 640 HNC patients with cancer-free survival of more than 2 years. Among them, 371 patients were treated by two-dimensional RT (2DRT), 127 by three-dimensional conformal RT (3DCRT), and 142 by intensity-modulated RT (IMRT). The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and QLQ-H&N35 module were used. A general linear model multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the prognosticators of HR-QoL.

RESULTS:

By multivariate analysis, the variables of gender, annual family income, tumor site, AJCC stage, treatment methods, and RT technique were prognosticators for QLQ-C30 results, so were tumor site and RT technique for H&N35. Significant difference (p < 0.05) of HR-QoL outcome by different RT techniques was observed at 2 of the 15 scales in QLQ-C30 and 10 of the 13 scales in H&N35. Compared with 2DRT, IMRT had significant better outcome in the scales of global QoL, physical functioning, swallowing, senses (taste/smell), speech, social eating, social contact, teeth, opening mouth, dry mouth, sticky saliva, and feeling ill.

CONCLUSIONS:

The technological advance of RT substantially improves the head-and-neck related symptoms and broad aspects of HR-QoL for HNC survivors.

• Authors: Stephen Wan Leung, Tsair-Fwu Lee, Chih-Yen Chien, Pei-Ju Chao, Wen-Ling Tsai, Fu-Min Fang
• Journal: BMC cancer (BMC Cancer) Vol. 11 Pg. 128 (Apr 12 2011) ISSN: 1471-2407 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21486431 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Cohort Studies
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Disease-Free Survival
• Female
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (psychology, radiotherapy)
• Humans
• Linear Models
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Quality of Life
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Young Adult