title: Elderly patients with head and neck cancer: short-term effects of surgical treatment on quality of life.
abstract: Elderly patients with head and neck cancer are less likely to be treated surgically. However, little is known about surgical outcome and quality of life (QOL) in elderly patients after a major surgery. This prospective study compared the QOL and the surgical outcome of 54 elderly (> or =70 years) and 75 younger patients (45-60 years) with carcinoma of the oral cavity (stage > or = II), pharynx (stage > or = II) or larynx (stage > or = III). Before and 3 months after surgery, the patients completed questionnaires about QOL (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35) and depression (CES-D). Before treatment, elderly and younger patients did not differ in QOL. Three months after the treatment, both groups scored worse on most QOL aspects, but there were no significant differences between the elderly and the younger patients. Surgical and systemic complication rates were similar for both the groups. In conclusion, we found no significant differences in the complication rate and QOL aspects between surgically treated elderly and younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. W.Derks@azu.nl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Derks
authors.forename: J R J
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: De Leeuw
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hordijk
authors.forename: J A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Winnubst
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome