PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and xerostomia over time for patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for head-and-neck cancer in a prospective clinical trial. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with head-and-neck cancer were randomized to pilocarpine (n = 65) vs. placebo (n = 65) during RT. QOL was measured using the McMaster Head and Neck Radiotherapy Questionnaire (HNRQ). Xerostomia was measured on a linear analog scale. No statistically significant differences were observed between arms; all 130 patients were analyzed together. RESULTS:Baseline QOL data were obtained for 98.5% of participants. The baseline HNRQ score of 5.7 declined significantly to 4.0 (p <0.0001) by RT Week 6 and returned to baseline (5.8) by 6 months after treatment. This represents a large, clinically important change of 1.7 of 7 (24%; effect size 1.34). The decline in HNRQ score during RT paralleled the onset of xerostomia on the linear analog scale (r = 0.36 at 1 month). After treatment, the QOL scores recovered without improvement in xerostomia. The trajectory of the linear analog scale score resembled that of the HNRQ's single xerostomia question (r = 0.75 at 1 month). CONCLUSION:Quality of life recovers to baseline after RT, despite persistent xerostomia. Either a response shift occurs or xerostomia in the absence of acute mucositis has a relatively small influence on overall QOL.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and xerostomia over time for patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for head-and-neck cancer in a prospective clinical trial. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with head-and-neck cancer were randomized to pilocarpine (n = 65) vs. placebo (n = 65) during RT. QOL was measured using the McMaster Head and Neck Radiotherapy Questionnaire (HNRQ). Xerostomia was measured on a linear analog scale. No statistically significant differences were observed between arms; all 130 patients were analyzed together. RESULTS: Baseline QOL data were obtained for 98.5% of participants. The baseline HNRQ score of 5.7 declined significantly to 4.0 (p <0.0001) by RT Week 6 and returned to baseline (5.8) by 6 months after treatment. This represents a large, clinically important change of 1.7 of 7 (24%; effect size 1.34). The decline in HNRQ score during RT paralleled the onset of xerostomia on the linear analog scale (r = 0.36 at 1 month). After treatment, the QOL scores recovered without improvement in xerostomia. The trajectory of the linear analog scale score resembled that of the HNRQ's single xerostomia question (r = 0.75 at 1 month). CONCLUSION: Quality of life recovers to baseline after RT, despite persistent xerostomia. Either a response shift occurs or xerostomia in the absence of acute mucositis has a relatively small influence on overall QOL.
Authors: S M Magrini; S Tonoli; L Costa; N Pasinetti; F Paiar; L Livi; G Simontacchi; I Meattini; L Pegurri; P Borghetti; P Frata; P Ponticelli; M Buglione; G Biti Journal: Radiol Med Date: 2011-11-17 Impact factor: 3.469
Authors: S B Jensen; A M L Pedersen; A Vissink; E Andersen; C G Brown; A N Davies; J Dutilh; J S Fulton; L Jankovic; N N F Lopes; A L S Mello; L V Muniz; C A Murdoch-Kinch; R G Nair; J J Napeñas; A Nogueira-Rodrigues; D Saunders; B Stirling; I von Bültzingslöwen; D S Weikel; L S Elting; F K L Spijkervet; M T Brennan Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2010-03-25 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Klaudia U Hunter; Matthew Schipper; Felix Y Feng; Teresa Lyden; Mark Haxer; Carol-Anne Murdoch-Kinch; Benjamin Cornwall; Connie S Y Lee; Douglas B Chepeha; Avraham Eisbruch Journal: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Date: 2012-10-03 Impact factor: 7.038
Authors: S Tribius; J Sommer; C Prosch; A Bajrovic; A Muenscher; M Blessmann; A Kruell; C Petersen; M Todorovic; P Tennstedt Journal: Strahlenther Onkol Date: 2013-01-27 Impact factor: 3.621