Quality of life as predictor of survival: a prospective study on patients treated with combined surgery and radiotherapy for advanced oral and oropharyngeal cancer

Radiother Oncol. 2010 Nov;97(2):258-62. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2010.02.005. Epub 2010 Feb 26.

Abstract

Background and purpose: The relation between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and survival was investigated at baseline and 6 months in 80 patients with advanced oral or oropharyngeal cancer after microvascular reconstructive surgery and (almost all) adjuvant radiotherapy.

Materials and methods: Multivariate Cox regression analyses of overall and disease-specific survival were performed including sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, comorbidity), and clinical (tumor stage and site, radical surgical, metastasis, radiotherapy) parameters, and HRQOL (EORTC QLQ-C30 global quality of life scale).

Results: Before treatment, younger age and having a partner were predictors of disease-specific survival; younger age predicted overall survival. At 6 months post-treatment, disease-specific and overall survival was predicted by (deterioration of) global quality of life solely. Global health-related quality of life after treatment was mainly influenced by emotional functioning.

Conclusion: Deterioration of global quality of life after treatment is an independent predictor of survival in patients with advanced oral or oropharyngeal cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Quality of Life*