Evaluation of Health Related Quality of Life in Oral Cancer Patients

OBJECTIVES To compare health-related quality of life in oral cancer patients whom were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy between pretreatment, postoperative and postoperative radiation. METHODS This was a prospective study using the health-related quality of life questionnaire. The questionnaire composed of disease-specific items, importance-rating scale, general quality of life questions and opened-end question. Health-related quality of life scores were compared at the day of admission, 25 – 49 days postoperatively and 25 – 54 days postoperative radiation therapy. RESULTS There were 29 cases, 26 cases were male. The age range was 34-80 (average 56.9). Twenty six patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 18 cases had stage III or IV. Postoperatively, oral cancer patients presented significantly poorer indications of chewing, shoulder dysfunction than pretreatment. Postoperative radiation, the patients presented significantly poorer indications of chewing, swallowing, shoulder dysfunction, taste and less saliva than pretreatment. CONCLUSION Post treatment, oral cancer patients had significantly worse health-related quality of life than pretreatment especially problem in chewing were the most significant problem in pretreatment, postoperative and postoperative radiation therapy. Problem in swallowing, shoulder dysfunction, loss of taste and less saliva were significant problem in postoperative radiation therapy.