Quality of Life Before and After Radiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

A Pilot Investigation of the Quality of Life Before and After Radiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Worldwide, head and neck cancers (HNCs) are widespread (650,000 cases per year) and cause more than 330,000 deaths per year. Almost all cases, about 90%, are cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx.

In conventional clinical practice, HNCs are treated primarily with radiation therapy (RT), often used in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Like most anti-neoplastic therapies, RT carries significant adverse effects both acute and chronic. Both types of adverse effects have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL).

The aim of the study is to examine the worsening of QoL in patients with HNC before and after cancer therapy and to assess the extent that each factor has in its worsening.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients between the ages of 18 and 75 years;
• patients who presented at their first dental visit with a diagnosis of HNC.

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients who had already undergone cancer therapies (excisional surgery or chemotherapy or radiation therapy) at the time of the first dental visit;
• patients with depression or social anxiety;
• patients with language difficulties.