Temporal assessment of quality of life of head and neck cancer patients receiving radical radiotherapy

Abstract

The study was undertaken to evaluate physical, psychological and functional aspects in quality of life (QoL) assessment prospectively in biopsy-proven head and neck cancer patients receiving radical radiotherapy. Fifty male patients were assessed using Karnofsky's Performance Status (KPS), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC). Patient questionnaires were completed before radiotherapy, during 3-4 weeks of radiotherapy and 3 months after radiotherapy. Before the start of radiotherapy, KPS was 91 +/- 10.26, FLIC was 129.98 +/- 33.41 and BDI was 7.10 +/- 4.57. This indicated good performance and functional status with lower depression. In weeks 3-4 of radiotherapy, KPS (71.00 +/- 20.12) and FLIC (81.34 +/- 45.23) decreased, while BDI (16.56 +/- 9.01) increased, indicating impairment in QoL. Three months after radiotherapy, KPS (78.37 +/- 23.0), FLIC (119.51 +/- 43.62) and BDI (9.02 +/- 7.81) improved but were not restored to pre-treatment levels. When patients were scheduled for radical radiotherapy, maximum deterioration in QoL was seen in weeks 3-4. This is the time when maximum supportive care and psychologic counselling is required.

Prevalence and correlates of symptoms and uncertainty in illness among head and neck cancer patients receiving definitive radiation with or without chemotherapy

“…Symptom distress for laryngeal or oropharyngeal cancer patients has not been previously reported, thus this study highlights the importance of recognizing patterns of symptom dimensions over treatment time points and suggests which symptoms [9] create the greatest distress for these patients. Healthcare providers can use this information to guide patient care and focus their assessment and education activities in this cancer population [18].…”

“…For symptom distress, a sample of 18 provided 80% power to detect a difference of 0.50 between times using a two-tailed paired t test with a 0.05 level of significance. On the basis of published data [18][19][20], to estimate the mean BDI with maximum 95% confidence interval (CI) for the BDI, a sample of 8 was needed. For estimating symptom distress, a 95% CI with a width of 0.5 required a sample size of 19 while estimating the mean MUIS with a 95% CI width of 10 required a sample of 19.…”

Predictors of Parenting Stress in Patients with Haematological Cancer

“…The inventory contains 21 items that each lists four statements (in increasing severity) about a particular symptom of depression that are consistent with the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV,-TR;) for major depressive disorder. The scale has been shown to have high reliability (Coefficient alpha = .92; [Beck et al, 1996], and has been used widely in cancer populations; Berard, Boermeester, & Viljoen, 1998;Chawla et al, 1999;Chochinov, Wilson, Enns, & Lander, 1998;Portenoy, Payne, & Jacobsen, 1999;Schneider, 1998). Beck, Epstein, Brown, & Steer, 1988)is a 21-item self-report inventory designed to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms over the preceding oneweek period.…”

Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy for head and neck malignancies

“…57 These long-term effects were observed with conventional fractionation, hyperfractionation, and hypofractionation radiation therapy. [63][64][65] However, overall, patients undergoing radiation therapy appear to cope and adjust well. Harrison et al 66 reported excellent functional and employment status for patients who received radiation treatment for base of the tongue tumors.…”