title: Explorative study on quality of life in relation to salivary secretion rate in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiotherapy (RT) to the head and neck region often results in oral complications. In this explorative study, the pretreatment and posttreatment (6 months and 12 months) quality of life (QOL) was analyzed for patients with head and neck cancer. The associations between QOL and salivary secretion rates were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 29 patients (19 men and 10 women; mean age, 59 ± 8 years), the stimulated whole salivary secretion and buccal minor gland secretion were measured. The patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30-questions (EORTC-QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 Head and Neck 35-questions (EORTC-QLQ-C30-H&N35) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One year after the completion of RT, patients with hyposalivation (≤0.7 mL/min) reported clinically meaningful, but not statistically significant differences, in cognitive functioning, insomnia, swallowing, social eating, dry mouth, sticky saliva, and use of painkillers. Statistically significant differences were found for emotional functioning, sticky saliva, and dyspnea (p < .05). Thirty-three percent of them had a HADS score suggesting anxiety problems, compared with 8% for those with whole stimulated salivary secretion rates >0.7 mL/min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RT in the head and neck region, also using intensity-modulated RT, is associated with many aspects of life, such as cognitive functioning, insomnia, dry mouth, and sticky saliva, especially for those with hyposalivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almståhl
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Prosthetics, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Torgny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fagerberg-Mohlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlén
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finizia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: cancer; minor gland saliva; quality of life; radiation therapy; saliva