title: Late toxicity, evolving radiotherapy techniques, and quality of life in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze quality of life (QoL) and functional state (FS) by patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires (FACT-G, FACT-NP, PSS-HN, XeQOLS, and EQ-5D-3L) in long-term survivors nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with conventional radiotherapy (RT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  25 patients answered to five questionnaires about QoL and FS. All patients were assessed also for late toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and Performance Status Scale Head and Neck (PSS-HN) scores were significantly elevated (better QoL) in age <50 years (p = 0.03). PSS-HN score was higher in IMRT group. The observed xerostomia was lower in the IMRT group and in patients who received conventional RT had worse QoL according to XeQOLS (University of Michigan Xerostomia-Related Quality of Life Scale) score questionnaire. Lower PSS-HN score and higher XeQOLS score were significantly related with the late xerostomia (p = 0.009 and 0.002, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary data suggest that age, older techniques, xerostomia, and hearing loss are negative predictors of QoL.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy. luciana.lastrucci@uslsudest.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2734-9929
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lastrucci
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertocci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Section of Internal Medicine Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borghesi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Majo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rampini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pernici
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiation Oncology, San Donato Hospital, Arezzo, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro Giovanni
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gennari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Nasopharyngeal neoplasm; Quality of life; Radiotherapy; Xerostomia