Changing the perspective: current trends in the assessment of functional outcome in patients with head and neck cancer.

Functional outcome and quality of life have become frequent outcome measures in head and neck cancer (HNC) clinical trials. Many thoroughly validated outcome measures are available. Still, there is a low degree of standardization and comparability among measures. It seems difficult to fully translate the new insights into clinical routine. The aims of this paper are 1) to acknowledge the diversity of outcome measures and many of the past milestones that have been reached, but also 2) to capture a growing need to concentrate and reach consensus. The hypothesis is to gain more benefit from changing the perspective toward consensus rather than diversity in functional outcome assessment. The next steps are to adopt a unique "language" to describe functional outcome and implement clear end points that assist clinical decision making. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health was adopted by the WHO and offers an internationally accepted classification to describe disability in HNC.