Neoplasms, Head and Neck
Conditions
Keywords
head and neck cancer, symptom cluster, change, radiotherapy
Brief summary
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide, causing more than 379,000 deaths in 2015 notwithstanding the breakthrough in cancer screening and medical treatment. The primary treatment for HNC is a combination of surgery and radiotherapy, either delivered preoperatively or postoperatively. Although these treatments, especially the postoperative radiotherapy can greatly improve the survival of patients, they still have to pay a high price for numerous symptoms induced by radiation. On the other hand, research on symptoms clusters is an emerging field in oncology which aims to understand the complexity of multiple symptoms experienced by cancer patients. A thorough understanding of symptom clusters help informs the development of comprehensive care plans which target a group of symptoms that is likely to coexist, thus easing the total symptom burden in cancer patients.To date, there has been a paucity of evidence regarding symptom clusters of HNC. To address the gap in existing literature, this study described the symptom clusters among HNC patients who were treated with surgery with a combination of postoperative radiotherapy. In addition, a longitudinal approach was employed to examine the change in symptom clusters throughout the treatment course.
Interventions
OTHERcomplete questionnaire
Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire at baseline, and week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 after starting of radiotherapy.
Sponsors
Taipei Medical University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Newly diagnosed with HNC, * Aged older than 18 years, * Without receiving any radiotherapy prior to surgery, * No cognitive impairment and able to communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese
Exclusion criteria
\- Undergoing any concurrent treatment for cancer.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| treatment-related symptoms of head and neck cancer patients with post-operative radiotherapy assessed by the Taiwanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory | 6 months after radiotherapy | The Taiwanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory is designed to assess the severity of 13 symptoms that are most commonly reported by patients undergoing cancer treatment. The symptoms include dry mouth, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, drowsiness, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, numbness, difficulty remembering, distress and sadness. Participants in this study were asked to rate the severity of these symptoms on a 11-point Likert scale, with 0 representing not present and 10 representing as bad as you can imagine. The item scores of 1 - 4, 5 - 6 and 7 - 10 are considered as mild, moderate and severe, respectively. The composite score can be obtained by averaging the 13 item scores. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| treatment-related symptoms of head and neck cancer patients with post-operative radiotherapy assessed by the Taiwanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory | baseline | The Taiwanese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory is designed to assess the severity of 13 symptoms that are most commonly reported by patients undergoing cancer treatment. The symptoms include dry mouth, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, drowsiness, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, numbness, difficulty remembering, distress and sadness. Participants in this study were asked to rate the severity of these symptoms on a 11-point Likert scale, with 0 representing not present and 10 representing as bad as you can imagine. The item scores of 1 - 4, 5 - 6 and 7 - 10 are considered as mild, moderate and severe, respectively. The composite score can be obtained by averaging the 13 item scores. |
Outcome results
None listed