Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy

  • Authors:
    • Pinelopi-Theopisti Memtsa
    • Maria Tolia
    • Ioannis Tzitzikas
    • John Bizakis
    • Kyriaki Pistevou‑Gombaki
    • Martha Charalambidou
    • Chrysoula Iliopoulou
    • George Kyrgias
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 17, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2017.1200
  • Pages: 789-793
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Abstract

Xerostomia in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients significantly affects their quality of life (QoL). The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations among QoL, xerostomia and quantity of saliva in a sample of H&N cancer patients who had received conventional radiotherapy (RT). A total of 60 H&N adult patients were enrolled in this prospective study. The patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30), the Quality of Life Questionnaire­ Head and Neck Module (QLQ‑H&N35) and the Greek version of the XQ questionnaire at 4 timepoints: At the beginning of RT, at the end of RT, 6 months after RT completion and 1 year after RT completion. Patients with distant metastases or serious comorbidities were excluded from the study. Salivary pH, and stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rate were assessed. All functional scales and symptom scales, apart from cognitive functioning in QLQ-C30 and feeding tube in H&N35 exhibited an abrupt deterioration at timepoint 3 and were then gradually restored over time. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). XQ scores at different timepoints exhibited a statistically significant negative correlation with salivary flow rates. Salivary flow rate and XQ scores almost parallelled one another. Flow rates recovered at a mean level of 20% below baseline values at the end of the follow‑up period. The subjective symptom of xerostomia parallelled salivary flow and QoL. Despite receiving conventional RT, the participants exhibited a considerable preservation of salivary gland function after 12 months, allowing some optimism regarding the course of xerostomia in selected patients.
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May-2017
Volume 6 Issue 5

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Spandidos Publications style
Memtsa P, Tolia M, Tzitzikas I, Bizakis J, Pistevou‑Gombaki K, Charalambidou M, Iliopoulou C and Kyrgias G: Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Mol Clin Oncol 6: 789-793, 2017
APA
Memtsa, P., Tolia, M., Tzitzikas, I., Bizakis, J., Pistevou‑Gombaki, K., Charalambidou, M. ... Kyrgias, G. (2017). Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Molecular and Clinical Oncology, 6, 789-793. https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2017.1200
MLA
Memtsa, P., Tolia, M., Tzitzikas, I., Bizakis, J., Pistevou‑Gombaki, K., Charalambidou, M., Iliopoulou, C., Kyrgias, G."Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy". Molecular and Clinical Oncology 6.5 (2017): 789-793.
Chicago
Memtsa, P., Tolia, M., Tzitzikas, I., Bizakis, J., Pistevou‑Gombaki, K., Charalambidou, M., Iliopoulou, C., Kyrgias, G."Assessment of xerostomia and its impact on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy". Molecular and Clinical Oncology 6, no. 5 (2017): 789-793. https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2017.1200