Patient reported outcomes in patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in the head-neck region are an important part of the complex care for these patients. Health-related quality of life, decision conflicts in the choice of treatment and satisfaction with care have not yet been sufficiently studied in this patient group.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer worldwide after basal cell carcinoma. It involves approximately 20% of all cutaneous malignancies and its incidence is still increasing. In 2020, nearly 15,000 cSCCs were reported in the Netherlands, of which approximately 50% concerned patients aged 75 years or older. UV radiation is the main risk factor for development of a cSCC, therefore the majority of cSCCs are localized to the sun-exposed skin in the head-neck region. cSCCs have a metastatic rate of 2.6-5% and recurrence rate of 1.9-3.7%, with rates increasing in high-risk cSCCs. The increasing incidence, advanced age, the (often) high-risk localization in the head-neck area (given functional and cosmetic importance) and the possible high risk of metastasis result in complex care, especially in stage T2 to T4 cSCCs, also known as high-risk cSCCs. Patient-reported outcomes and health related quality of life (HRQoL) are important outcomes in the care for high-risk cSCCs in the head-neck region (HNcSCCs). Previous research is limited regarding the impact of cSCCs on QoL in patients with high-risk HNcSCCs , as is research on decision conflicts in the choice of treatment. The PROFILES registry (Arts, 2019) investigated QoL and satisfaction with care in 215 patients with keratinocyte carcinomas in the head-neck region. However, the majority of the patients had basal cell carcinoma (81%); only 23 patients had cSCC. Besides, no distinction was made in high or low risk cSCC. Finally, quality of life and patient satisfaction questionnaires were not administered until at least one year after diagnosis. Other studies of QoL in cSCC patients do not distinguish stage and/or location of the tumor, involve small study populations, or only use oncological questionnaires rather than disease-specific questionnaires. In conclusion, there is little scientific research on health related quality of life, decision conflicts in the choice of treatment and satisfaction with care in specific patients with high-risk HNcSCCs.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
78
Patients receiving regular care. In addition, validated questionnaires are administered at two measurement points: 1. after the multidisciplinary consultation, a baseline questionnaire\*, the decision conflict scale and the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire are administered by phone. 2. 1 month after completion of the treatment program (care pathway) the EQ-5D-5L, the BaSQoL and the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 questionnaires will be administered by phone. Completing the questionnaires takes about 30 minutes each time. \*Baseline questionnaire: gender, age, marital status, education level, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status, presence of informal care, stage and treatment of cSCC, history of skin cancer, presence of current other skin cancer, and average travel time to hospital.
Radboud UMC
Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Maastricht University Medical Center +
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Decisional conflict
Decisional conflicts expressed as mean total and domain scores on the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) questionnaire. The DCS questionnaire consist of 16 items related to decision conflicts. Items are given a score value of 0 (strongly agree), 1 (agree), 2 (neither agree or disagree), 3 (disagree) and 4 (strongly disagree). The total score can be calculated by summarize all scores, dividing by 16 and then multiplying by 25. The total score ranges from 0 to 100. A higher score correlates with a higher decisional conflict. The 5 domain subscores are: uncertainty (3 items), informed (3 items), values clarity (3 items), support (3 items) and effective decision (4 items). The subscores can be calculated by summarize the (3 or 4) items, dividing by the number of items (3 or 4) and then multiplying by 25. The subscores range from 0 to 100 where a higher score correlates with a higher decisional conflict.
Time frame: At the start (before treatment) of the care pathway.
Health-related quality of life
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) expressed as mean total/domain scores on the EuroQol five-dimensional (5D) five-level (5L) (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consist of 5 dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). Each dimension has 5 response levels (no, slight, moderate, severe or extreme problems) resp. coded from 1 to 5. The EuroQol-visual analogue scale records the overall health on a vertical visual analogue scale (0 to 100). Example: a response of 77 is coded 77. A higher score indicates a better health status).
Time frame: At the start (before treatment) of the care pathway.
Health-related quality of life
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) expressed as mean total/domain scores on the EuroQol five-dimensional (5D) five-level (5L) (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consist of 5 dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). Each dimension has 5 response levels (no, slight, moderate, severe or extreme problems) resp. coded from 1 to 5. The EuroQol-visual analogue scale records the overall health on a vertical visual analogue scale (0 to 100). Example: a response of 77 is coded 77. A higher score indicates a better health status).
Time frame: At 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Health-related quality of life
HRQoL expressed as mean total/domain scores on the Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma QoL (BaSQoL) questionnaire. The BaSQoL consist of 5 scales: behaviour, diagnosis/treatment, worries, appearance and other people. Items are scored: 0 (not at all), 1 (a little), 2 (quite a bit), 3 (very much). An average score per scale will be calculated (the sum of all scores within one scale, divided by the number of items) resulting in a scale score of 0 to 3. A higher score indicates a higher influence of skin cancer on daily life.
Time frame: At 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Satisfaction with care
Satisfaction with care expressed as mean total and domain scores on the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 (patient satisfaction) questionnaire. The EORTC IN-PATSAT32 is composed of 11 multi-item scales (including doctors' and nurses' interpersonal skills, technical skills, information provision and availability, and other hospital personnel kindness/helpfulness and information giving, waiting time and access) and 3 single item scales (including exchange of information, comfort/cleanliness and general satisfaction). All of the scales and single-item measures range in score from 0 to 100. A high scale score represents a high level of satisfaction with care.
Time frame: Once during the care pathway: 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Difference in decisional conflict outcomes between centers
Differences in decisional conflict outcome measures (primary outcome 1) between Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Radboud University Medical Center, expressed as mean total/domain scores on the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) questionnaire. The DCS questionnaire consist of 16 items related to decision conflicts. Items are given a score value of 0 (strongly agree), 1 (agree), 2 (neither agree or disagree), 3 (disagree) and 4 (strongly disagree). The total score can be calculated by summarize all scores, dividing by 16 and multiplying by 25 (total score range 0-100). A higher score correlates with a higher decisional conflict. The subscores are: uncertainty (3 items), informed (3 items), values clarity (3 items), support (3 items) and effective decision (4 items). The subscores can be calculated by summarize the items, dividing by the number of items and multiplying by 25. The subscores range from 0-100; a higher score correlates with a higher decisional conflict.
Time frame: At the start (before treatment) of the care pathway.
Difference in health-related quality of life outcomes between centers
Differences in health-related quality of life outcome measures (primary outcome 2) between Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Radboud University Medical Center. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) expressed as mean total/domain scores on the EuroQol five-dimensional (5D) five-level (5L) (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consist of 5 dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). Each dimension has 5 response levels (no, slight, moderate, severe or extreme problems) resp. coded from 1 to 5. The EuroQol-visual analogue scale records the overall health on a vertical visual analogue scale (0 to 100). Example: a response of 77 is coded 77. A higher score indicates a better health status).
Time frame: At the start (before treatment) of the care pathway.
Difference in health-related quality of life outcomes between centers
Differences in health-related quality of life outcome measures (primary outcome 3) between Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Radboud University Medical Center. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) expressed as mean total/domain scores on the EuroQol five-dimensional (5D) five-level (5L) (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consist of 5 dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). Each dimension has 5 response levels (no, slight, moderate, severe or extreme problems) resp. coded from 1 to 5. The EuroQol-visual analogue scale records the overall health on a vertical visual analogue scale (0 to 100). Example: a response of 77 is coded 77. A higher score indicates a better health status).
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Time frame: At 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Difference in health-related quality of life outcomes between centers
Differences in health-related quality of life outcome measures (primary outcome 4) between Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Radboud University Medical Center. HRQoL expressed as mean total/domain scores on the Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma QoL (BaSQoL) questionnaire. The BaSQoL consist of 5 scales: behaviour, diagnosis/treatment, worries, appearance and other people. Items are scored: 0 (not at all), 1 (a little), 2 (quite a bit), 3 (very much). An average score per scale will be calculated (the sum of all scores within one scale, divided by the number of items) resulting in a scale score of 0 to 3. A higher score indicates a higher influence of skin cancer on daily life.
Time frame: At 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Difference in satisfaction with care outcomes between centers
Differences in satisfaction with care outcome measures (primary outcome 5) between Maastricht University Medical Center+ and Radboud University Medical Center. Satisfaction with care expressed as mean total and domain scores on the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 (patient satisfaction) questionnaire. The EORTC IN-PATSAT32 is composed of 11 multi-item scales (including doctors' and nurses' interpersonal skills, technical skills, information provision and availability, and other hospital personnel kindness/helpfulness and information giving, waiting time and access) and 3 single item scales (including exchange of information, comfort/cleanliness and general satisfaction). All of the scales and single-item measures range in score from 0 to 100. A high scale score represents a high level of satisfaction with care.
Time frame: At 1 month after completion of the care pathway.
Change from baseline health-related quality of life after treatment
The difference in HRQoL before and after treatment, expressed by mean total and domain scores on the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consist of 5 dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). Each dimension has 5 response levels (no, slight, moderate, severe or extreme problems) resp. coded from 1 to 5. The EuroQol-visual analogue scale records the overall health on a vertical visual analogue scale (0 to 100). Example: a response of 77 is coded 77. A higher score indicates a better health status).
Time frame: Twice during the care pathway: at the start (before treatment) and 1 month after completion of the care pathway.