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.

Patients with Head and Neck Cancer and waiting to undergo curative radiotherapy. HNC patients attach great importance to their health-related quality of life. In addition, there is evidence that the QoL of HNC survivors is poorer than that of the general population due to the significant functional limitations caused by the disease and treatment, this is because the head and neck district is the site of several organs that play an important role in the basic functions of daily life, including breathing, speeching, chewing, and swallowing, and are important for appearance. Moreover, HNC leads to a high incidence of psychosocial problems among survivors, such as depression, social isolation, and addiction and substance abuse, which in turn post to negative consequences with regard to QoL.