title: Recommended patient-reported core set of symptoms to measure in head and neck cancer treatment trials.
abstract: We identified a standard core set of patient-reported symptoms and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) domains to be assessed in head and neck (H&N) cancer clinical trials. The core symptom and HRQOL domain scores were used to guide recommendations by a working group of experts as part of a National Cancer Institute Symptom Management and HRQOL Clinical Trials Planning Meeting. A PubMed search was conducted using the search terms of "health-related quality of life" and "head & neck cancer," limited to publications from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2010. Fifty-four articles were used to guide the choice of recommendations. Twenty-nine symptoms and nine domains were identified, from which 12 H&N-specific core symptoms and HRQOL domains were recommended: swallowing, oral pain, skin changes, dry mouth, dental health, opening mouth/trismus, taste, excess/thick mucous/saliva, shoulder disability/motion, voice/hoarseness, social domain, and functional domain. This core set of 12 H&N-specific, patient-reported symptoms and HRQOL domains should be assessed in future H&N cancer clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM). bchera@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Bhishamjit S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chera
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisbruch
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ridge
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gavin
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Bryce B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Deborah Watkins
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bruner
authors.affiliation: Affiliations of authors: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (BSC, BBR); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (AE); Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (BAM); Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (JAR); Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program, Grand Rapids, MI (PG); Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (DWB); Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (BM).
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Movsas
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006304:Health Status; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014313:Trismus / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology