Quality of life as predictor of survival: a prospective study on patients treated with combined surgery and radiotherapy for advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The relation between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and survival was investigated at baseline and 6 months in 80 patients with advanced oral or oropharyngeal cancer after microvascular reconstructive surgery and (almost all) adjuvant radiotherapy.


METHODS
Multivariate Cox regression analyses of overall and disease-specific survival were performed including sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, comorbidity), and clinical (tumor stage and site, radical surgical, metastasis, radiotherapy) parameters, and HRQOL (EORTC QLQ-C30 global quality of life scale).


RESULTS
Before treatment, younger age and having a partner were predictors of disease-specific survival; younger age predicted overall survival. At 6 months post-treatment, disease-specific and overall survival was predicted by (deterioration of) global quality of life solely. Global health-related quality of life after treatment was mainly influenced by emotional functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
Deterioration of global quality of life after treatment is an independent predictor of survival in patients with advanced oral or oropharyngeal cancer.
Oskam
Inge M
IM
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Verdonck-de Leeuw
Irma M
IM
Aaronson
Neil K
NK
Kuik
Dirk J
DJ
de Bree
Remco
R
Doornaert
Patricia
P
Langendijk
Johannes A
JA
Leemans
C René
CR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life