title: Quality of life and psychiatric morbidity in patients successfully treated for oral cavity squamous cell cancer and their wives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess quality of life (QOL) and psychiatric morbidity in successfully treated oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OC-SCC) survivors and their wives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one men successfully treated for OC-SCC (mean, 3.7 years since diagnosis; UICC stages I to IV) together with their wives were assessed by questionnaires referring to QOL (WHOQOL-BREF), physical complaints (EORTC QOL-H&N35), and symptoms of anxiety and depression (HADS). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders was assessed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Irrespective of tumor stage, a considerably high global QOL both in OC-SCC survivors and their wives could be detected when compared with an age-matched cancer-free population. No significant difference between the mean scores of 4 domains of the QOL (exception: environmental domain) was found between patients and their wives. In patients, lower QOL was associated with more physical complaints (social eating, swallowing, and pain) and higher levels of psychological distress (HADS); whereas in wives, QOL was found to be related to levels of psychological distress. In the M.I.N.I., a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly anxiety disorders, was found in wives (38.7%); but was lower in patients (16.2%). Patients and wives diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder reported significantly lower QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both in OC-SCC patients and their wives a considerably high overall QOL can be found. "Social eating," "swallowing," and "sexuality" in patients and psychiatric disorders in wives seem to be strongly related to global QOL. The high prevalence of anxiety disorders in wives, however, should alert clinicians and the health care community. Thus, surgical improvement of somatic problems and treatment of psychiatric disorders should be addressed in individuals reporting an impaired global QOL.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. zwahlen.onofri@vtxmail.ch
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zwahlen
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dannemann
authors.forename: Klaus W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Grätz
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Studer
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zwahlen
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moergeli
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Drabe
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Büchi
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jenewein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology