Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0043352 (xerostomia)
4,250 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Despite modern advances in the treatment of head and neck cancer, the survival rate fails to improve. Considering the different treatment modalities involved, quality of life has been thought of as an additional end point criterion for use in clinical trials. A Nordic protocol to measure the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients before, during, and after treatment was established. Before the study, a pilot study was done with this protocol. The main purpose of this pilot study was to find out whether this cancer population would answer quality-of-life questionnaires repeatedly (six times) over a 1-year period and whether the chosen questionnaires-a core questionnaire (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)), a tumor-specific questionnaire, and a psychological distress measure (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD))-were sensitive for changes to functions and symptoms during the study year. The results presented in this article all refer to the pilot study. Forty-eight consecutive patients agreed to participate in the study. The most common tumor locations were the oral cavity (17) and the larynx (12). Almost all patients received combined treatment: 45 of 48 radiation therapy, 18 of 48 chemotherapy, and 17 of 48 surgery. After the primary treatment, 40 patients had complete tumor remission. Four of the 48 patients did not answer any questionnaires and were therefore excluded from the study. Of the remaining 44 patients, 3 died during the study year, and another 6 withdrew for various reasons. Thirty-five (85%) of the 41 patients alive at the 1-year follow-up answered all six questionnaires and thus completed the study. Mailed questionnaires were used throughout the study. All questionnaires were well accepted and found to be sensitive to changes during the study year. The greatest variability was found for symptoms and functions related specifically to head and neck cancer. The symptoms were swallowing difficulties, hoarse voice, sore mouth, dry mouth, and problems with taste. They all showed the same pattern, with an increase of symptoms during and just after finishing the treatment. The HAD scale revealed a high level of psychological distress, with 21% probable cases of psychiatric morbidity at diagnosis. In conclusion, it was shown that the study design and questionnaires were feasible for the forthcoming prospective quality-of-life assessment of Swedish and Norwegian head and neck cancer patients.
...
PMID:Prospective, longitudinal quality-of-life study of patients with head and neck cancer: a feasibility study including the EORTC QLQ-C30. 921 81

Radiotherapy and surgery for laryngeal cancer achieve comparable results in patient survival. Therefore, the expected quality of life is increasingly influencing the choice of treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life of patients after surgery or radiotherapy for laryngeal carcinoma. To evaluate quality of life, we used the validated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC Head and Neck module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35). 65 patients who were treated with either radiotherapy or surgery for laryngeal cancer between January 1990 and December 1995, and who were alive and free of tumour in January 1999, were included in this study. In the first group with small tumours (T1/T2), 40 patients were treated by CO2-laser surgery and 16 by primary radiotherapy. In the second group with more advanced tumours (T3/T4), 5 patients underwent total laryngectomy and 4 primary radiotherapy. In the first group there was good global quality of life with no significant difference between the two treatment modalities. Surgically treated patients scored significantly better than the irradiated patients in questions about swallowing of solid food, xerostomia and dental problems. No other significant differences were found: hoarseness in particular was rated equally after both treatments. In the second group there was also good global quality of life with no significant difference between the two treatment modalities. The laryngectomized patients scored equally on questions about voice function, talking on the phone and social behaviour. As far as quality of life is concerned we can recommend both treatment modalities for patients with laryngeal cancer of all stages.
...
PMID:[Quality of life after treatment of laryngeal carcinoma: surgery versus radiotherapy]. 1078 67

To examine the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in long-term head and neck (H&N) cancer survivors compared with general population norms. HRQL was assessed with three standardized questionnaires: the SF-36 Health Survey (Short Form 36) and the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, -Core 30 and -Head and Neck 35 cancer module). Altogether 135 H&N cancer patients (mean age 62 years, 31% females) of 151 survivors (89% acceptance) from a longitudinal HRQL study (n = 232) were included 3 years after diagnosis. The H&N cancer patients' SF-36 scores did not differ significantly from those of an age- and sex-matched sample (n = 871) from the Swedish normative population, except on the role-physical functioning scale. On the other hand, treatment-related side-effects and disease-specific problems (e.g., swallowing, local pain and dry mouth) measured by the H&N cancer module were, with few exceptions, significantly worse than norm values. Gender comparisons revealed that female H&N cancer patients generally scored better than the norms on both the SF-36 and the EORTC QLQ-C30, while the male patients scored significantly worse on most SF-36 scales. Patients > or =65 years more often scored worse than the norm than did patients <65. Clinically relevant differences were found on the majority of SF-36 scales in comparison of tumour sites, however, comparisons of patients with small (stage I+II) versus advanced (stage III+IV) tumours revealed few differences. Three years after diagnosis H&N cancer patients still suffer significant functional limitations/problems related to their disease and its treatment but these problems do not generally affect their overall HRQL. Tumour stage no longer differentiates HRQL at 3 years, however, factors related to the patients' age, gender and location of the tumour appear to have bearing on their reported health status.
...
PMID:Health-related quality of life in long-term head and neck cancer survivors: a comparison with general population norms. 1116 69

Radiotherapy and surgery for early laryngeal cancer achieve comparably good results in patient survival, and the choice of treatment between them is being influenced increasingly by the expected voice quality and quality of life (QoL). The superiority of vocal function after radiotherapy has been shown in previous objective voice assessment studies. This study compared the QoL of long-term survivors after endoscopic laser surgery or radiotherapy for early laryngeal carcinoma. QoL was evaluated with two validated questionnaires: the global EORTC QLQ-C30 and the head- and neck-specific EORTC QLQ-H&N35. A total of 62 patients were included. Among 56 patients completing the questionnaires (90% completion rate) 40 were treated by endoscopic CO2 laser surgery and 16 with radiation therapy. All 56 patients showed a good global QoL with no significant difference between the two treatment modalities. The head- and neck-specific evaluation revealed significantly better scores for surgically treated patients in questions about swallowing of solid food, xerostomia, and tooth problems, but no difference in questions about voice quality. Both treatment modalities achieve good QoL after treatment of early laryngeal tumors. Irradiated patients mainly complain about xerostomia related problems. In contrast to objective measurements long-term survivors after surgery do not rate their voice poorer than irradiated patients. The EORTC questionnaires are validated and useful tools in assessing QoL and should further be used in prospective trials.
...
PMID:Quality of life after treatment for early laryngeal carcinoma. 1130 14

The study aim was to investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in post-therapeutic head and neck cancer patients. A cross-sectional study design was used with a sample of 191 subjects. Data were collected through interview and chart review. Alcohol consumption was evaluated through the dichotomous response to the question "During the past month have you drunk alcohol on one or more occasions?" HRQL was evaluated through the EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 instruments. Data were also collected concerning sociodemographic and clinical variables. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the hypothesized association. Of 28 domains comprising the EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 instruments, eight were significantly associated with alcohol consumption, while 19 of the 20 remaining domains showed a tendency towards an association. Alcohol drinking was associated with significantly better physical and role functioning, and better global HRQL, plus less fatigue, pain, problems swallowing, dry mouth and feelings of illness. This suggests that, while the study findings are limited by its design and the sample bias, despite alcohol's role as an aetiological factor, it may be reasonable to drink a little as one recovers from head and neck cancer.
...
PMID:Alcohol consumption is associated with improved health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. 1175 25

Multiple oral complaints develop following high-dose chemo/radiotherapy and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) which can influence quality of life. The purpose of this investigation was to assess quality of life, oral function, taste and smell in a cohort of patients following HCT. A general quality of life survey (the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)) Quality of Life (QOL) questionnaire (QLQ-C30), with an added oral symptom and function scale and assessment of taste and smell was administered to a consecutive series of patients at day 90-100 post HCT. General QOL was impacted by fatigue, affecting physical, social emotional and cognitive function. While oral function scales appeared to be little affected at day 90-100 post HCT, abnormalities of taste were reported. Reports of changes in taste and smell appeared to parallel each other and changes remained at the time of the survey post-HCT. Change in taste appeared to be closely associated with dry mouth. Patients appeared to have difficulty in differentiating sour and bitter, which had been more affected than salt and sweet taste. Females appeared to report greater changes in taste than males. Increased smell sensitivity and taste change resulted in changes in food preparation in some cases, as did reported increase in sensitivity to sour and bitter taste. Acute complications are well known to affect QOL during the early period following HCT, but little assessment of long-term changes in oral QOL and taste has been conducted following transplant. The EORTC QLQ C-30 questionnaire with the oral addendum provides a measure of the quality of life and oral function, and may provide useful outcome measures for assessment of oral care prevention and management in HCT patients.
...
PMID:Quality of life, taste, olfactory and oral function following high-dose chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. 1243 2

The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal changes in quality of life (QoL) for 77 head-and-neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy (RT). The data pertaining to their QoL were collected using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC Head and Neck Module (QLQ-H&N35) before and two years after postoperative RT. The differences in all the QLQ-C30 scales between the two time points were not statistically (p<0.01) or clinically (difference > or =+10 points) significant. Of all the scales in the QLQ-H&N35, only problems in social eating, teeth, dry mouth, and sticky saliva became worse with both statistical and clinical significance. Clinical cancer stage and marital status were the only variables significantly associated with the change in global QoL. The subjects with stage IV disease (5.0-fold) and those with a spouse (5.5-fold) had a lower risk of reporting negative changes in global QoL. The study indicates that some individual HNSCC patients, after receiving postoperative RT, suffered from a deterioration of QoL scales, especially in some specific head-and-neck symptoms. Meanwhile, we found some patients, especially those with more advanced HNSCC, might have developed somewhat tougher coping abilities to deal with the adverse effects of adjuvant RT on their global QoL.
...
PMID:Changes in quality of life of head-and-neck cancer patients following postoperative radiotherapy. 1537 Jun 15

There are very few symptom assessment instruments in Chinese. We present the validity and reliability of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF) and the Condensed Form MSAS (CMSAS) in Chinese cancer patients. The Chinese version of the 32-item MSAS-SF, a self-report measure for assessing symptom distress and frequency in cancer patients, was administered to 256 Chinese patients with colorectal cancer at a clinical oncology outpatient unit. Highly prevalent symptoms included worrying (59%), dry mouth (54%), lack of energy (54%), feeling sad (48%), feeling irritable (48%), and pain (41%). Both the MSAS-SF and CMSAS demonstrated good validity and reliability. For the MSAS-SF subscales, Cronbach alphas ranged from 0.84 to 0.91, and for CMSAS subscales, from 0.79 to 0.87. Moderate-to-high correlations of MSAS-SF and CMSAS subscales with appropriate European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 subscales (0.42-0.71, Ps<0.001) indicated acceptable convergent validity. Low correlations with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem and Optimism Scale (0.22, P<0.001) indicated divergent validity. MSAS subscales varied as expected with other Chinese scales--the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Life Orientation Scale. Construct validity of both MSAS versions was demonstrated by effective differentiation between clinically distinct patient groups (Karnofsky scores <80% vs. > or =80% [P<0.001]; no active treatment vs. active treatment [P<0.002-0.034]; CHQ-12 scores < or =4 vs. CHQ-12 scores >4 [P<0.001]). The Number of Symptoms subscale correlated appropriately with the EORTC QLQ-C30 function (-0.46 to -0.60, P<0.001) and symptom scales (0.31-0.64, P<0.001). The average time to complete the MSAS-SF was six minutes. The Chinese versions of the MSAS-SF and CMSAS are valid and practical measures. Further validation is needed for Chinese patients with other cancer types and with other symptom instruments.
...
PMID:New insights in symptom assessment: the Chinese Versions of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF) and the Condensed MSAS (CMSAS). 1843 76

From 2001 to 2005, 66 patients referred for perioperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) for debridement of necrotic tissue or prevention of radionecrosis were assessed with quality of life measures, before and after completion of HBO2 and surgery. The Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) showed no significant changes. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core (EORTC-C30) questionnaire showed significant improvement in pain, global health, and dyspnoea (p=0.011; p=0.027; p=0.008, respectively). The Head and Neck sub-module (H&N35) identified significant improvements in teeth, dry mouth and social contact (p=0.002; p=0.038; p=0.029, respectively). The University of Washington Scale (UW), showed significant changes in relation to chewing and shoulders (p=0.031; p=0.047). When sub-group analysis using 'osteoradionecrosis' and 'dental extraction or implants' was performed on the EORTC and UW data, variations in the patterns of significance were found. Adjunctive HBO2 should be considered for the treatment and prevention of some of the long-term complications of radiotherapy.
...
PMID:Impact of perioperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the quality of life of maxillofacial patients who undergo surgery in irradiated fields. 1850 62

To measure the prevalence of non-pain physical symptoms and psychological symptoms in patients with cancer, to investigate the impact of physical and psychological symptoms on their quality of life (QoL), and to inquire whether treatment had been received for the complaints/symptoms, a representative sample of 1,429 cancer patients were recruited and classified according to tumor type and treatment status [i.e., (1a) curative treatment >6 months ago, (1b) curative treatment <or=6 months ago, (2) palliative antitumor treatment, and (3) treatment no longer feasible]. QoL and non-pain symptoms were measured by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-C30 version 3. We added two items: (1) Did you have a dry mouth? and (2) Did you feel listless? We also asked whether the patients had received treatment for their symptoms. Depression and anxiety were measured by the Dutch version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect differences in global QoL between patients with different types of cancer. When ANOVA was significant, post hoc tests (Tukey) were performed to identify significant differences among cancer types. Linear regression analyses (forced entrance procedure) were performed to investigate the influence of physical and psychological symptoms on global QoL. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe symptoms increased significantly with each disease group. Vomiting and irritability were the least prevalent symptoms, and fatigue and worries were the most prevalent symptoms in all groups. Patients in Group 1 (curative treatment) experienced symptoms that were independent of cancer type. Patients in Group 2 (palliative treatment) experienced symptoms that varied with cancer type. QoL decreased significantly each step from Group 1 through 3. Fatigue, appetite loss, constipation, dry mouth, depression, and anxiety had independent negative influences on QoL. Patients with gastrointestinal cancer, malignant lymphoma, and other hematological malignancies had significantly poorer QoL than patients with prostate cancer. In 45%-90% of patients, symptoms remained untreated. Non-pain physical symptoms and psychological symptoms are frequent in patients with cancer at all disease phases. Many symptoms remain untreated. Systematic recording of symptom intensity should be mandatory, irrespective of the phase of disease.
...
PMID:Quality of life and non-pain symptoms in patients with cancer. 1956 94


1 2 3 Next >>