title: Health-related quality of life in patients with nasal prosthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with nasal prosthesis after tumour resection with partial or total rhinectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with nasal prosthesis were asked to complete a quality of life questionnaire. 43 patients with prosthesis after partial or total rhinectomy completed the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire. Answers were systematically analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  27 patients were male, 16 were female. Mean age was 62 years, and the mean interval between tumour resection and date of study inclusion was 45.3 months. There are gender-specific differences for the QOL domain 'recreation' and age-specific differences for the domains 'appearance' and 'saliva'. The fields 'activity', 'mood' and 'appearance' are the most severely affected QOL domains in patients with nasal prosthesis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar to other head and neck cancers there is a need and a deficiency in psycho-oncological support after partial or total rhinectomy, the influence on QOL however was much lower than initially expected. This should be considered with regard to the oncological benefits of this surgical procedure. Compared to the results of other head and neck malignancies the 'appearance' is only slightly affected. A stable prosthesis is needed to enable the maintenance of the accustomed activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: christoph.becker@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna Magdalena
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008447:Maxillofacial Prosthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Facial prosthesis; Health-related quality of life; Nasal cancer; Nasal prosthesis; Quality of life; University of Washington quality of life scale