title: Quality of life and head and neck cancer: a 5 year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in head and neck cancer patients from diagnosis to 5 years after start of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, descriptive study
  
  
  METHODS
  three hundred fifty-seven patients from Norway and Sweden filled in HRQL questionnaires, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-H and N35, six times during the first year and then after 5 years. At 5 years, 167 (87%) of the 192 living patients filled in questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group data: clinical significant improvements in HRQL were not found between 1 and 5 years. Problems with teeth, opening of the mouth, dryness in the mouth, and sticky saliva were persistent or worsening. Similar findings were found regardless of sex, age, stage, or site when clinical significant changes are considered. Patients who died between 1 and 5 years reported reduced HRQL on 15 of 28 scales at 1 year compared with the survivors. Individual data: 40% of patients reported improved global HRQL from diagnosis to 5 years after start of treatment. In addition, 11% had "top scores" at both assessment points. The pattern in global HRQL scores also applies for most of the other function and symptom scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After the first year after treatment, recovery of the persisting side effects of treatment cannot be expected for the group as a whole. Patients must be prepared for this. Some individual patients experience improvement in global HRQL. HRQL assessments in daily clinical practice can identify patients who are in need of additional support and symptom relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgerySt. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abendstein
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nordgren
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jannert
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silander
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahlner-Elmqvist
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hammerlid
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjordal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors