Disability in patients with head and neck cancer.
BACKGROUND
Patients with head and neck cancer often experience debilitating speech, eating, and respiratory problems as well as the psychological effects of loss of function and change in body image. These patients often become unemployed as a result of their disease process, which adds financial burden to their already stressful lives. Yet the specific factors associated with unemployment have not been systematically studied.


METHODS
This multisite study used survey and chart data to determine the predictors of work-related disability.


RESULTS
Of the 384 patients who were working prior to their diagnosis of head and neck cancer, 52% (n = 201) were disabled by their cancer treatment. Multivariate analysis demonstrated significant links between disability and chemotherapy (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; P <.001), neck dissection status (OR, 2.3; P =.01), pain scores (OR, 1.2; P =.01), and time since diagnosis (OR, 0.9; P =.04).


CONCLUSIONS
More than half of the patients in this study were disabled by their head and neck cancer or treatment. Patients with head and neck cancer who have undergone chemotherapy or neck dissection or have high pain scores are at increased risk for disability from their cancer or their treatment. Efforts to prevent (if possible), better assess, and treat pain and other adverse effects of head and neck cancer treatments may also have the potential to reduce patient disability.
Taylor
Joseph C
JC
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0312, USA. Terrelj@umich.edu
Terrell
Jeffrey E
JE
Ronis
David L
DL
Fowler
Karen E
KE
Bishop
Carol
C
Lambert
Michael T
MT
Myers
Larry L
LL
Duffy
Sonia A
SA
Bradford
Carol R
CR
Chepeha
Douglas B
DB
Hogikyan
Norman D
ND
Prince
Mark E
ME
Teknos
Theodoos N
TN
Wolf
Gregory T
GT
D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome