title: Participation in sport and physical activity in head and neck cancer survivors: associations with quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head and neck cancer (HNC), and its treatment, is associated with significant side-effects which can affect quality of life (QOL). Physical activity (PA) is known to improve a number of QOL measures. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PA pre- and post-treatment of HNC and to determine associations with QOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based survey of 172 patients pre- and post-treatment for HNC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 62.2% of patients met current UK PA guidelines pre-treatment, reducing to 40.1% following treatment. There was a significant decrease in Metabolic equivalent task minutes/week post-treatment, with 71% of participants reporting less PA after diagnosis (P < 0.001). Swimming and cycling remained the two most practiced sports. There was a positive correlation between the post-treatment PA and QOL (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that PA may improve QOL following treatment for HNC. We believe that further studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sammut
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University Hospital Southampton NHS trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D000068958:Return to Sport; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D006113:United Kingdom