title: Quality-of-life assessment after hyperfractionated radiation therapy and 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and paclitaxel (Taxol) in inoperable and/or unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine quality of life (QOL) after hyperfractionated radiation and chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT H-N) questionnaires were administered to protocol patients at baseline study entry, during and at the completion of therapy, and during subsequent follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients completed baseline QOL questionnaires. Six subsequent assessments were given to patients who were available for follow-up. Social/family well-being and relationship with doctor subscores were not significantly different from baseline. Emotional well-being was not different from baseline initially, but actually showed a significant increase 6 months after completion of radiation, seen on assessments 5 and 6 (P < 0.01). Physical and functional well-being subscores, total FACT-G score, head and neck subscores, and total FACT H-N score all showed initial decreases during, at the completion of radiation, or, in some subscores, up to 3 months postradiation. However, all these scores recovered to baseline levels. These scores subsequently showed a significant increase after 6 months to 1 year in all but the physical well-being and head and neck subscores, which remained at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QOL scores returned to baseline levels or increased at 6 to 12 months postradiation in long-term survivors who completed QOL questionnaires.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. mwahab@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel-Wahab
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abitbol
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troner
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Markoe
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil