Quality of life during first-line palliative chemotherapy for recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer with weekly cisplatin and docetaxel.
OBJECTIVE
Quality of life (QOL) should be improved during palliative chemotherapy for end-stage recurrent head and neck cancer. Therefore, we evaluated QOL in head and neck cancer patients during palliative chemotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel.


METHODS
Thirty patients were included in a prospective study between 2003 and 2007. Response, time-to-progression, overall survival, performance, and toxicity were estimated. QOL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires at baseline, and after each chemotherapy cycle.


RESULTS
The response rate was 17%. Sixty-three percent had stable disease. The median time-to-progression was 3.5 months. The median overall survival was 9.2 months. The QLQ-C30 score constipation and the QLQ-H&N35 scores swallowing, senses problems, speech problems, coughing, weight gain showed significant improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Only some aspects of QOL are maintained or improved. The QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire seems to be more appropriate to measure QOL, but needs to be improved to account for the peculiarities of modern palliative chemotherapy.
Guntinas-Lichius
Orlando
O
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Lessingstrasse 2, 07740, Jena, Germany. orlando.guntinas@med.uni-jena.de
Rühlow
Sarah
S
Veelken
Florian
F
Klussmann
Jens Peter
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin