Demands on caring relatives of head and neck cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Relatives of cancer patients experience high levels of stress that influence the quality of life of these individuals. To investigate whether there is a necessity for simultaneous supportive care of patient relatives, we performed for the first time a study asking the closest relatives of head and neck cancer patients about their needs during and after the treatment to consider how to optimize the situation for such patient groups.


METHODS
Patients' relatives were assessed using an anonymous self-report questionnaire that was established in our department by expanding on a questionnaire for cancer patients' relatives from the psycho-oncologic society in Switzerland. The evaluation was multidimensional, cancer specific, and relative based.


RESULTS
Relatives feel confronted themselves with cancer, although indirectly. The majority of the respondents were of the opinion that simultaneous psychological care of the patients and for the caring relatives would be helpful to cope with the situation.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows the significant impact of cancer on caring relatives of head and neck cancer patients. In our opinion, health services should become more aware of this potential to ensure that the needs of the involved patient relatives are met as well as those of the patients.
Baghi
Mehran
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
Wagenblast
Jens
J
Hambek
Markus
M
Radeloff
Andreas
A
Gstoettner
Wolfgang
W
Scherzed
Agmal
A
Spaenkuch
Birgit
B
Yuan
Juping
J
Hornung
Stefan
S
Strebhardt
Klaus
K
Knecht
Rainald
R
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires