Prospective changes of the quality of life for patients newly diagnosed with oral cancer during the acute stage.
OBJECTIVE
Oral cancer is a common malignant disease in Taiwan. The purpose of this prospective follow-up study was to identify the changes in quality of life for newly diagnosed oral cancer patients during the acute stage.


METHODS
Subjects were recruited from the outpatient department (OPD) in a medical center located in the northern part of Taiwan. 22 subjects completed both the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 at diagnosis, postoperative discharge, and the first postoperative follow-up. In addition, 91% of the subjects received surgery only as their main treatment.


RESULTS
During the three assessments, as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30, subjects reported that their physical function was much better at diagnosis than at both postoperative discharge and first postoperative follow-up. Their role functioning was much better at diagnosis than at postoperative discharge. Nevertheless, subjects reported better emotional functioning at the first postoperative follow-up than at the other two points of assessment. Only less financial difficulty was reported in the first postoperative follow-up than at diagnosis and postoperative discharge. For QLQ-H&N35, subjects reported that several symptoms (i.e., swallowing) were more severe at postoperative discharge than at diagnosis. Usage of nutritional supplements at first postoperative follow-up was higher than that at diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Newly diagnosed oral cancer patients reported significant changes in certain domains of both the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35. Health professionals need to identify the pattern of changes and to provide supportive care to these new oral cancer patients throughout the treatment process, especially during the planning of discharge.
Lee
Hsiu-Fang
HF
Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan Hsien 333, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Liu
Hsueh-Erh
HE
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012380:Role; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan