Impact of conventional radiotherapy on health-related quality of life and critical functions of the head and neck.
| Autor: | Connor NP; Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, and William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53792-7375, USA. connor@surgery.wisc.edu, Cohen SB, Kammer RE, Sullivan PA, Brewer KA, Hong TS, Chappell RJ, Harari PM |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics [Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys] 2006 Jul 15; Vol. 65 (4), pp. 1051-62. Date of Electronic Publication: 2006 May 06. |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.01.054 |
| Abstrakt: | Purpose: Head-and-neck radiotherapy is associated with significant morbidities. Our purpose was to document impact of morbidities by use of multiple objective measures and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Methods and Materials: Ten head-and-neck cancer patients were evaluated before receiving conventional head-and-neck radiotherapy and at 1 month and 6 months after treatment. We evaluated weight, saliva production, diet, swallow function, auditory function, and HR-QOL. Results: After radiotherapy, weight was reduced in 89% of subjects. Salivary function was significantly reduced and did not resolve by 6 months. Diet impairment and abnormalities in swallowing function persisted at 6 months. Perception of physical functioning was reduced after treatment, and swallowing, coughing, and dry-mouth symptoms increased. Very few changes were observed in auditory function. Conclusions: Conventional head-and-neck radiotherapy is associated with substantial functional deficits and diminished HR-QOL. Deficits reported here can serve as a baseline for comparison with results derived from new radiotherapy-treatment techniques. |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|