Can we assess quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer? A preliminary report from the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics.
Survival statistics alone may no longer be valid when used as evidence of effective outcomes. Patient satisfaction is an end point that needs further evaluation and should be included in the outcomes assessment. A 133-item questionnaire has been designed by a special committee of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics (AAMP) to assess the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer impacting the orofacial region. This survey will be distributed to the entire population of 7 geographically dispersed treatment centers in the United States for a 2-year period. Patients will be stratified into several subgroups, including radiation/nonradiation, maxillary/mandibular, and surgical reconstruction/prostheses. Separate analyses will be conducted for each subgroup, and comparisons will be made within subgroups to test the sensitivity of the questionnaire to a known difference. A revised version of the AAMP questionnaire, limited to 50 items of interest to patients, will be validated against 2 established head and neck cancer questionnaires. This article provides background on previous quality-of-life studies and reviews the need for and aims of the AAMP assessment instrument.
Hecker
Donna M
DM
Clinical Dental Specialist, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minn, USA.
Wiens
Jonathan P
JP
Cowper
Thomas R
TR
Eckert
Steve E
SE
Gitto
Christina A
CA
Jacob
Rhonda F
RF
Mahanna
Gordon K
GK
Turner
Glenn E
GE
Potts
Alcine
A
Logan
Henrietta
H
Wiens
Ronald L
RL
D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008447:Maxillofacial Prosthesis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D012953:Societies, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires