title: Prospective evaluation of quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate, prospectively, the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative, longitudinal, and prospective study was conducted. The survey instrument was the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire. The sample consisted of 47 patients. For data analysis, paired t test, McNemar test, Student t test, and 1-way analysis of variance tests were used. The significance level was 5% (P < .05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mood (68.89 ± 35.41) and anxiety (70.22 ± 32.99) domains were the most affected at the time of diagnosis. Chewing (71.11 ± 39.15) and speech (76.22 ± 33.72) domains were the most affected in the revaluation of the questionnaire, after 3 months. In the temporal assessment of the domains at diagnosis and after 3 months, it was observed that domains that improved quality of life were pain (P = .013) and mood (P = .039). Swallowing (P = .017), chewing (P = .024), speech (P = .048), and saliva (P = .004) domains produced a worse quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The parameters that influence quality of life differ when the the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire is applied at the time of diagnosis and 3 months after diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogéria Lucio
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaelle Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Henrique Gonçalves
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Gomes
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Agripino
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcela Maria Nery
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Canto
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Vasconcelos Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnosis, State University of Paraíba, Araruna, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Aparecida
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallottini
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: dmitry_sarmento@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dmitry José
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: de Santana Sarmento
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires