Quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer receiving targeted or multimodal therapy - Update of the EORTC QLQ-H & N35, Phase I

Susanne Singer*, Juan I. Arraras, Ingo Baumann, Andreas Boehm, Wei-Chu Chie, Razvan Galalae, Johannes A. Langendijk, Orlando Guntinas-Lichius, Eva Hammerlid, Monica Pinto, Ourania Nicolatou-Galitis, Claudia Schmalz, Mehmet Sen, Allen C. Sherman, Karin Spiegel, Irma Verdonck-de Leeuw, Noam Yarom, Paola Zotti, Dirk Hofmeister, EORTC Quality Life GrpEORTC Head Neck Canc Grp

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background. The objective of this study was to identify relevant quality of life (QOL) issues in patients with head and neck cancer receiving multimodal and/or targeted therapies.

Methods. The literature was searched for QOL issues reported after multimodal and/or targeted therapies resulting in a list of potentially relevant issues. These were discussed within a multiprofessional expert group, revised, and subsequently rated for relevance by patients and health care providers.

Results. Twenty-seven issues were extracted that are not covered by the current version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires. Interviews (96 health care providers from 13 countries, 137 patients from 8 countries) revealed that 26 of these issues were relevant for patients with head and neck cancer.

Conclusions. Studies investigating targeted and/or multimodal therapy should consider that some QOL issues specific to these treatments are not covered by the current version of the EORTC instruments. Consequently, the EORTC head and neck cancer module is currently in revision. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 35: 1331-1338, 2013

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1331-1338
Number of pages8
JournalHead and Neck: Journal of the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck
Volume35
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept-2013

Keywords

  • head and neck neoplasms
  • larynx
  • pharynx
  • oral cavity
  • multimodal therapies
  • chemoradiation
  • SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA
  • EUROPEAN-ORGANIZATION
  • RADIATION-THERAPY
  • STAGE-III
  • RADIOTHERAPY
  • CISPLATIN
  • CHEMOTHERAPY
  • CHEMORADIATION
  • DOCETAXEL
  • TOXICITY

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