Quality of life following surgical treatment of oral cancers

Abstract

IntroductionQuality of life (QoL) studies provide information about the impact of disease, the treatment of symptoms, and outcomes following treatment. The present study aims to evaluate the postoperative QoL of patients treated for oral cancer in a Nigerian government tertiary hospital.Materials and MethodsA prospective study on consenting patients with oral cancer was undertaken at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. The subjects completed the University of Washington QoL (UW-QoL) questionnaire one day prior to surgery and postoperatively after 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.ResultsSixty-eight patients with oral cancer were recruited. Of these, 38 were males, and 30 were females (male : female, 1.3 : 1). Twenty-four patients (12 males and 12 females) underwent surgery and completed postoperative QoL assessment using the UW-QoL questionnaire. Preoperative QoL mean score was 2.21, while postoperative mean scores after 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months were 3.67, 3.46, 2.82, and 2.61, respectively.ConclusionAn improvement in QoL following surgical treatment for patients with oral cancer was observed. 'Appearance,' 'recreation,' and 'chewing' were identified as the most important determinants of postoperative QoL in patients with oral cancer in our study.

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“…Efunkoya, et al conducted a study in 2015 to assess the quality of life following surgical treatment of oral cancers [8]. They evaluated the preoperative and postoperative QoL of patients treated for oral cancer in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.…”

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“… 15 , 16 Other ancillary unaddressed factors may involve economic strains, issues with family support, protracted treatment phase, numerous clinic appointments, and illness relapse. 17 …”

“…15,16 Other ancillary unaddressed factors may involve economic strains, issues with family support, protracted treatment phase, numerous clinic appointments, and illness relapse. 17 Despite all the powerful technologies and strong targeted medications for cancer patients which are very costly and associated with lethal side effects, the desired success still remains elusive for modern medicine. 14 Patients consequently may turn to nonconventional treatments such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).…”

“…These factors include physical factors such as over‐all well‐being, discomfort, sleep quality and quantity, anxiety, exhaustion, and speech quality 15,16 . Other ancillary unaddressed factors may involve economic strains, issues with family support, protracted treatment phase, numerous clinic appointments, and illness relapse 17 …”

Is There Still a Place for Brachytherapy in the Modern Treatment of Early-Stage Oral Cancer?

“…Efunkoya et al [ 69 ] reported QoL in patients after oral cancer surgical treatment using the QoL University of Washington (UW-QoL) questionnaire. The UW-QoL is a 15-item questionnaire evaluating problems related to oral function, orofacial appearance, and social interaction.…”