title: Health-related quality of life as a survival predictor for patients with oral cancer: is quality of life associated with long-term overall survival?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present prospective study was to obtain further insight into health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) as a predictor of survival in a selected cohort of patients with oral cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 124 patients were treated with surgery or combined therapy. All of the recruited patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaires QLQC30 and H&N35 on 4 occasions. Overall survival was assessed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High baseline HR-QoL score and high pain symptom score were significantly associated with a better survival (HR 0.86 and 0.92 respectively). Swallowing (HR 0.94), and speech (HR 0.92) high baseline scores were also significantly associated with a better survival in the adjusted analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients who reported a better HR-QoL at tumor diagnosis had a better survival than patients with a lower HR-QoL baseline score.
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. achilletarsitano@gmail.com
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarsitano
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pizzigallo
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ballone
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis