Quality of Life Before and After Radiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

University of Turin, Italy22 enrolled

Overview

Worldwide, head and neck cancers (HNCs) are widespread (650,000 cases per year) and cause more than 330,000 deaths per year. Almost all cases, about 90%, are cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx. In conventional clinical practice, HNCs are treated primarily with radiation therapy (RT), often used in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Like most anti-neoplastic therapies, RT carries significant adverse effects both acute and chronic. Both types of adverse effects have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study is to examine the worsening of QoL in patients with HNC before and after cancer therapy and to assess the extent that each factor has in its worsening.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer Quality of Life (QOL)

Interventions

Curative radiotherapy for Head and Neck CancersRADIATION

Radiotherapy is a localized, non-invasive, painless therapy, mostly performed on an outpatient basis, capable of causing necrosis or the death of tumor cells through the use of high-energy radiation called ionizing radiation.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 75 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * patients between the ages of 18 and 75 years; * patients who presented at their first dental visit with a diagnosis of HNC. Exclusion Criteria: * patients who had already undergone cancer therapies (excisional surgery or chemotherapy or radiation therapy) at the time of the first dental visit; * patients with depression or social anxiety; * patients with language difficulties.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire version 4.1

The UW-QOL v4.1 is a widely recognized questionnaire for reporting physical and socio-emotional dysfunction after HNC treatment and consists of short multifactorial questions specific to HNC and to assess the patient's perception of general QoL in the past 7 days. The questionnaire includes 12 questions to assess pain, appearance, activity, leisure, swallowing, chewing, speech, shoulder, taste, salivation, mood, and anxiety. There are two subdomains: physical and social-emotional. The physical function items are chewing, speech, swallowing, taste, saliva and appearance. Social function includes anxiety, mood, pain, activity, recreation, and shoulder function.

Time frame: 1 month