title: Radiation related morbidities and their impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients receiving radical radiotherapy.
abstract: Although 50-70% of head and neck cancer patients in India receive radiotherapy (RT), radiation-related acute and late morbidities and their impact on quality of life (QOL) are infrequently reported. Acute and late radiation morbidities and QOL were assessed in a prospective longitudinal study of 45 patients with head and neck cancers receiving radical RT to a dose of 7000 cGy in conventional fractionation. Grade II acute morbidities experienced by the largest percent of the sample during the course of RT pertained to the mucosa (66.4%), salivary gland (84%), and oesophagus (53%). These morbidities led to an increase in the symptom scores of appetite loss (76.46), fatigue (65.75) and pain (44.77). This increase in the symptom scores consequently led to a significant decline in physical, social and emotional functioning as well as global health status score during the course of RT (p < 0.001). Scores improved after 1 month of RT but did not reach the pre-RT value. Future studies may consider correlating QOL assessment to significant patient and disease related parameters such as performance status, weight loss, stage and site of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Mohanti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahadur
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007830:Larynx / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000473:pathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology