Quality-of-life issues in head and neck cancer.
Assessment of quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer presents many challenges to the clinician, especially because of the profound physical impact of disease on everyday functioning, including eating, breathing, and speech. Various assessment measures are reviewed here, and recommendations for their use under particular circumstances are outlined. General, disease-specific, site-specific, modular (both disease- and site-specific), and treatment-specific instruments are described. Other issues addressed in this review include frequency and duration of assessment, patient versus interviewer administration, and the effect of coping strategies on results.
Hanna
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Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Slot 543, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199, USA.
Sherman
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AC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors