title: Evaluating tumour after care in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Insights into patients' health related quality of life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumour aftercare (tac) is an essential tool in oncology. The main aim of these follow ups is to diagnose recurrence and second tumours from the beginning. Tac appointments can create a special environment for patients' further concerns. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate tac of patients diagnosed with OSCC and to investigate their health related quality of life (hrql).
  
  
  METHODS
  A German questionnaire was created by two maxillo-facial surgeons with several years of tac experience. It was handed out to 100 German-speaking OSCC patients during tac. Results were statistically evaluated with SPSS (SPSS version 21.0; SPSS, IBM; Chicago, IL, USA). The inclusion criterion was that diagnosis and surgery were performed at our department and that the patients attended our tac regularly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Side effects such as difficulties in speaking and swallowing were evaluated as being significantly higher in cases who were administered adjuvant radiochemotherapy (art) compared with the surgical therapy group (stg) (p = 0.03). Anxiety occurred in 80% of all female patients (p = 0.02), 90% of them with a high psychological strain because of the cancer diagnosis (p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To date, tac is a rare topic in literature. Moreover, only a few trials have focused on hrql in OSCC. A main result of the current study is that during tac, OSCC patients should be regularly questioned about their symptoms and mental state. Further, the need of the majority of OSCC patients for coping therapies can concomitantly be evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluation of tac is of high relevance. The results of the current study have encouraged us to establish this questionnaire as a routine tool in our tac.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany. Electronic address: oliver.bissinger@tum.de.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bissinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rau
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koerdt
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus-Dietrich
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco Rainer
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kesting
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Head: Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff), Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Ismaningerstraße 22, 81675, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Götz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000592:standards; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Coping; Health related quality of life; OSCC; Oncology guidelines; Psycho-social strain; Tumour after care