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BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders
Published in: BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research article

Pretreatment organ function in patients with advanced head and neck cancer: clinical outcome measures and patients' views

Authors: Lisette van der Molen, Maya A van Rossum, Annemieke H Ackerstaff, Ludi E Smeele, Coen RN Rasch, Frans JM Hilgers

Published in: BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders | Issue 1/2009

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Abstract

Background

Aim of this study is to thoroughly assess pretreatment organ function in advanced head and neck cancer through various clinical outcome measures and patients' views.

Methods

A comprehensive, multidimensional assessment was used, that included quality of life, swallowing, mouth opening, and weight changes. Fifty-five patients with stage III-IV disease were entered in this study prior to organ preserving (chemoradiation) treatment.

Results

All patients showed pretreatment abnormalities or problems, identified by one or more of the outcome measures. Most frequent problems concerned swallowing, pain, and weight loss. Interestingly, clinical outcome measures and patients' perception did no always concur. E.g. videofluoroscopy identified aspiration and laryngeal penetration in 18% of the patients, whereas only 7 patients (13%) perceived this as problematic; only 2 out of 7 patients with objective trismus actually perceived trismus.

Conclusion

The assessment identified several problems already pre-treatment, in this patient population. A thorough assessment of both clinical measures and patients' views appears to be necessary to gain insight in all (perceived) pre-existing functional and quality of life problems.
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Metadata
Title
Pretreatment organ function in patients with advanced head and neck cancer: clinical outcome measures and patients' views
Authors
Lisette van der Molen
Maya A van Rossum
Annemieke H Ackerstaff
Ludi E Smeele
Coen RN Rasch
Frans JM Hilgers
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6815
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6815-9-10

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