Assessing quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer in Spain by means of EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this project was to evaluate the quality of life in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer in the Murcia region (Spain).

Materials and methods: The Quality of Life (QoL) of patients suffering head and neck cancer was assessed using Spanish translations of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck Cancer Module (QLQ-H&N35). The questionnaires' scales and single items were compared according to age, sex, tumour location, stage of cancer and treatment type.

Results: Of the 109 patients who met the study's inclusion criteria, 94 completed the questionnaire. Quality of life was found to be associated with patient age (with patients <65 years obtaining higher scores) and also with tumour location. With regard to the stage of cancer, early stages obtained better scores than advanced ones. Patients who underwent surgical treatment combined with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy generally showed lower scores.

Conclusions: The routine use of quality of life questionnaires among cancer patients enables health practitioners to discover in which areas and to what extent patients find their lives affected by the treatment they receive and its consequences. This allows health practitioners to provide information and treatments which are better adapted to patient needs. These results are similar to those obtained in populations from the north and centre of Europe.