Advances in quality of life and symptom management for head and neck cancer patients

Current Opinion in Oncology

Volumn 21, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 242-247

  Murphy, Barbara A ^a,b  

^a VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (United States)

^b 777 Preston Research Building ^*  (United States)

Author keywords

Head and neck cancer; Nutritional support; Oral healthcare; Quality of life; Symptom control

Indexed keywords

ANTIBIOTIC AGENT; CEVIMELINE; FLUORIDE; PILOCARPINE; PLACEBO;

BONE NECROSIS; CANCER PATIENT; CLINICAL EXAMINATION; CLINICAL TRIAL; COMORBIDITY; DENTAL CARIES; DRUG EFFICACY; EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY; FATIGUE; FOLLOW UP; HEAD AND NECK CANCER; HEALTH PRACTITIONER; HUMAN; HYPERBARIC OXYGEN; INTENSITY MODULATED RADIATION THERAPY; MORBIDITY; NASOPHARYNX CARCINOMA; NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT; NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY; OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY; ORAL SURGERY; PATIENT CARE; PHYSIOTHERAPY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; QUALITY OF LIFE; RADIATION DOSE; REVIEW; SCORING SYSTEM; TREATMENT OUTCOME; XEROSTOMIA; DISEASE COURSE; HEAD AND NECK TUMOR; MULTIMODALITY CANCER THERAPY; NEEDS ASSESSMENT; PATHOLOGY;

COMBINED MODALITY THERAPY; DISEASE PROGRESSION; HEAD AND NECK NEOPLASMS; HUMANS; NEEDS ASSESSMENT; QUALITY OF LIFE;

EID: 67650364196     PISSN: 10408746     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/CCO.0b013e32832a230c     Document Type: Review

References (18)

1. Rogers SN, Ahad SA, Murphy AP. A structured review and theme analysis of papers published on 'quality of life' in head and neck cancer: 2000-2005. Oral Oncology 2007; 43:843-868. This article provides an easy reference list of articles that address a number of themes pertaining to QOL and symptom/functional outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer.
2. Langendijk JA, Doormaert P, Verdonck-de-Leeuw IM, et al. Impact of late treatment-related toxicity on quality of life among patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy. J Clin Oncol 2008; 26:3770-3776. This trial, conducted in the Netherlands, reports the results of a standard follow-up program implemented in 1997. This program requires that all head and neck patients treated with primary or postoperative radiation therapy undergo assessments at baseline, weekly for 8 weeks during therapy and periodically thereafter.
3. Machtay M, Mourghan J, Trotti A, et al. Factors associated with severe late toxicity after concurrent chemoradiation for locally advanced head and neck cancer: an RTOG analysis. J Clin Oncol 2008; 26:3582-3589. This study provides insight into the incidence and prognostic factors for severe adverse events as documented in three cooperative group trials. Surprisingly, 43% of assessable patients experience late effects, a number which is substantially higher than previously thought.
4. Ronis DL, Duffy SA, Fowler KE, et al. Changes in quality of life over 1 year in patients with head and neck cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008; 134:241-248. Well conducted trial looking at a broad array of health issues that potentially affect long-term QOL.
5. Fang FM, Chien CY, Tsai WL. Quality of life and survival outcome for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy vs. intensity-modulated radiotherapy: a longitudinal study. Int J Radiation Biol Phys 2008. [Epub ahead of print] IMRT has been widely adopted for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Purportedly, IMRT allows radiation therapy to be delivered to the target volume while minimizing the radiation dose to adjacent critical structures thereby limiting long-term toxicity. This study fails to identify any meaningful QOL advantage between 3D-CRT and IMRT.
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16. Rogers LQ, Couneya KS, Robbins KT, et al. Physical activity correlates and barriers in head and neck cancer patients. Supportive Care Cancer 2008; 16:19-27.
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18. Porceddu SV, Rosser B, Burmeister BH, et al. Hypofractionated radiotherapy for the palliation of advanced head and neck cancer in patients unsuitable for curative treatment: 'Hypo Trial'. Radiother Oncol 2007; 85:456-462. A realistic appraisal of the benefits of palliative radiation therapy in advanced head and neck cancer patients who are not candidates for curative therapy.