A ChemoSensory questionnaire for patients treated for cancer of the head and neck.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate primary chemosensory issues experienced by patients who undergo treatment for cancer of the head and neck and to develop and assess a ChemoSensory Questionnaire (CSQ).


METHODS
Cross sectional survey for questionnaire development and testing.


METHODS
Literature, expert opinion, and focus group methodology were used to identify aspects of smell and taste affecting patients before, during, and after therapy for cancer of the head and neck. A draft instrument was compiled, reviewed, and revised. The revised instrument was administered along with a demographic and clinical form, the SF-12, the Performance Status Survey, and the University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life Questionnaire (HRQOL) to a sample of patients. After item and scale analyses and reductions, a final instrument was assembled. Construct validity and test-retest reliability were assessed.


RESULTS
Two hundred six patients were included in the study. The final survey instrument consisted of eight items, four on smell and four on taste. Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 for the smell scale and 0.78 for the taste scale. Correlations with other HRQOL scales ranged from 0.20 to 0.64 for the taste scale and from 0.10 to 0.33 for the smell scale. Good construct validity of the CSQ scores was demonstrated.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment for head and neck cancer negatively impacts smell and taste. A survey instrument was developed to evaluate chemosensory function that is simple to administer and is brief. This instrument will be of value in identifying factors that contribute to chemosensory disturbance and may serve as a guide for planning treatment regimens that minimize such disturbance.
Goldberg
Andrew N
AN
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. agoldberg@ohns.ucsf.edu
Shea
Judy A
JA
Deems
Daniel A
DA
Doty
Richard L
RL
D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*