Quality of life and oral function in patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer

Background. Multiple oral complaints develop during radiation therapy for h ead and neck cancer, and quality of life is affected after treatment. The p urpose of this investigation was to assess the quality of life, oral functi on, and oral symptoms in a cohort of patients during and after radiation th erapy. Methods. A general quality of life survey (the European Organization for Re search and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C 30), with an added oral symptom and function scale was administered to a co nsecutive series of patients who received radiation therapy for head and ne ck malignant disease. Patients completed surveys at the beginning of radiat ion therapy, immediately after, and 6 months after treatment. Results and Discussion. The questionnaire used in this study provides incre ased information regarding the oral and dental function that is frequently affected by radiation therapy. Results of this study indicate the need to d etermine oral dysfunction after head and neck cancer therapy, so that the m ost predictable cure or best palliation of the malignancy with the least im pact on oral function and quality of life is chosen. Oral complications during and after radiation therapy for head and neck can cer are common and affect quality of life. Oral QOL does not return to pret reatment levels by 6 months after radiation therapy. This study supports th e use of a general function scale such as the EORTC questionnaire with the addition of disease/ site-specific scales to provide data on outcomes of th erapy and on the complications associated with therapy. The EORTC QLQ 30 qu estionnaire with the oral assessment addendum provides a measure of the qua lity of life and oral function in head and neck cancer patients and may pro vide useful outcome measures for assessment of oral care prevention and man agement strategies in these patient populations. The results show that the questionnaire is responsive to change throughout the course of radiation th erapy for head and neck cancer. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.