title: Effect of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program on quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: review of clinical experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with head and neck cancer experience complex posttreatment challenges. In a preliminary uncontrolled study, we evaluated the extent to which they can benefit from an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven patients completed an 8-week nutrition-rehabilitation program. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD), body weight, symptom burden, distress, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and at the end of the program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients improved their mean 6MWD by 59 m (effect size = 0.8), and 78% of patients either maintained or increased their body weight. They also reported a clinically meaningful reduction in severity of insomnia, pain, weakness, anorexia, shortness of breath, depression and distress, and improvement in quality of life (effect sizes = 0.6-0.9). However, they reported no change in symptom interference with function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An interdisciplinary rehabilitation program may be beneficial to patients with head and neck cancer after treatment, but its effects should be evaluated in a controlled trial.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Rehabilitation Service, McGill University Health Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Shafia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amdouni
authors.forename: Josée
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemoignan
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jelowicki
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chasen
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gagnon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome