OBJECTIVE: To assess if participation by patients in a head and neck cancer support group improves perceived quality of life (QOL). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Subjects for this study included 47 patients at a tertiary Veterans Affairs Medical Center who were previously treated for head and neck cancer. This was a quasi-experimental, post-test study comparing the QOL of 24 patients who participated in a head and neck cancer support group with 23 patients who did not participate. The validated University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life (HNQOL) instrument was used to evaluate head and neck cancer-related QOL. RESULTS: Patients who participated in the head and neck cancer support group exhibited significantly better scores in the domains of eating, emotion, and pain as well as in the global bother and response to treatment questions of the HNQOL instrument compared with those patients who did not participate. Additional subgroup analysis comparing age, type of treatment, and length of time since cancer diagnosis suggests that these variables were less important predictors of QOL than was support group participation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that patient participation in a head and neck cancer support group is associated with improved QOL. SIGNIFICANCE: Support groups may be beneficial in improving QOL after head and neck cancer treatment.
OBJECTIVE: To assess if participation by patients in a head and neck cancer support group improves perceived quality of life (QOL). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Subjects for this study included 47 patients at a tertiary Veterans Affairs Medical Center who were previously treated for head and neck cancer. This was a quasi-experimental, post-test study comparing the QOL of 24 patients who participated in a head and neck cancer support group with 23 patients who did not participate. The validated University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life (HNQOL) instrument was used to evaluate head and neck cancer-related QOL. RESULTS:Patients who participated in the head and neck cancer support group exhibited significantly better scores in the domains of eating, emotion, and pain as well as in the global bother and response to treatment questions of the HNQOL instrument compared with those patients who did not participate. Additional subgroup analysis comparing age, type of treatment, and length of time since cancer diagnosis suggests that these variables were less important predictors of QOL than was support group participation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that patient participation in a head and neck cancer support group is associated with improved QOL. SIGNIFICANCE: Support groups may be beneficial in improving QOL after head and neck cancer treatment.
Authors: Laura W J Baijens; Margaret Walshe; Leena-Maija Aaltonen; Christoph Arens; Reinie Cordier; Patrick Cras; Lise Crevier-Buchman; Chris Curtis; Wojciech Golusinski; Roganie Govender; Jesper Grau Eriksen; Kevin Hansen; Kate Heathcote; Markus M Hess; Sefik Hosal; Jens Peter Klussmann; C René Leemans; Denise MacCarthy; Beatrice Manduchi; Jean-Paul Marie; Reza Nouraei; Claire Parkes; Christina Pflug; Walmari Pilz; Julie Regan; Nathalie Rommel; Antonio Schindler; Annemie M W J Schols; Renee Speyer; Giovanni Succo; Irene Wessel; Anna C H Willemsen; Taner Yilmaz; Pere Clavé Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2020-12-19 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Lauren J Breen; Moira O'Connor; Samuel Calder; Vivian Tai; Jade Cartwright; Janet M Beilby Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2017-03-03 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Helbert Eustáquio Cardoso da Silva; Glaucia Nize Martins Santos; André Ferreira Leite; Carla Ruffeil Moreira Mesquita; Paulo Tadeu de Souza Figueiredo; Cristine Miron Stefani; Nilce de Santos Melo Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2022-05-06 Impact factor: 3.359