title: Quality of life of patients after salvage nasopharyngectomy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to examine the quality of life (QOL) of patients who underwent salvage nasopharyngectomy for residual or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to justify the value of the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-reported, health-related QOL questionnaire was used to assess the QOL of patients after salvage nasopharyngectomy. The effects of potential complications after surgery also were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2003 and 2011, 185 patients underwent salvage nasopharyngectomy using the maxillary swing approach. Curative resection was achieved in 80% of patients. There were no significant changes in mean global health system scores after surgery, except after palliative resection requiring postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation. Social functioning scores were the lowest of the 5 functioning scales in all patient groups. Palatal fistula significantly affected social eating and weight loss, and osteoradionecrosis caused more pain and nasal discharge, severely affecting the social life of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QOL of patients after maxillary swing salvage nasopharyngectomy was good. The current results indicated that attention must be paid to the factors that adversely affect QOL after surgery, such as palliative resection, and complications like trismus, palatal fistula and osteoradionecrosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Center, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. chanjyw@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yu Wai
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Velda Ling Yu
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: William Ignace
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000601:surgery; D010611:Pharyngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult