POSTER: TOPICS Breast Cancer Lung Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer Gastro Intestinal Malignancies Genito-Urinary Tract Cancer Hemolinphoproliferative Melanoma and Sarcoma Supportive Care and Quality of Life Miscellanea

Objective Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) face a unique set of unmet needs. A subset of these patients experience symptom control challenges related to their disease burden and treatments. A multidisciplinary approach involving palliative medicine is underutilized but crucial to identify and address these concerns. There is limited information on palliative integration with head and neck oncology. Study Design Case series with planned data collection. Setting Academic quaternary care center. Subjects and Methods We provide descriptive analyses of patients with HNC, including psychodiagnostic assessment and validated quality-of-life screening, from patients’ first encounter at outpatient palliative medicine. Results HNC (N = 80) contributed the greatest number of palliative referrals (25%) between 2010 and 2012. This cohort was 74% male and 79% Caucasian with a mean age of 53 years (95% CI, 51.1-54.9) and with stage IV disease of the oral cavity (28%) or oropharynx (31%). Sixty-three percent of patients had no evidence of disease. Seventy-five percent had a psychological history based on DSM-IV criteria ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), and 70% had a history of substance use disorder. The most distressing quality-of-life concerns were pain, housing and financial problems, and xerostomia. Conclusions Patients with HNC who were referred to palliative medicine are burdened by multiple physical, psychological, substance use, and social challenges. We recommend comprehensive cancer-specific screening, such as the James Supportive Care Screening, to triage patients to appropriate supportive care services. Palliative care is one of many services that these patients may need, and it should be utilized at any point of the disease trajectory rather than reserved for end-of-life care.

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Perceived unmet supportive care needs and determinants of quality of life among head and neck cancer survivors: a research protocol

Journal of Advanced Nursing ◽

10.1111/jan.12164 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 69 (12) ◽

pp. 2750-2758 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Winnie K.W. So ◽

K.C. Choi ◽

Carmen W.H. Chan ◽

Winnie P.Y. Tang ◽

Alice W.Y. Leung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Supportive Care ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Supportive Care Needs ◽

Research Protocol ◽

Care Needs

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PCN378 - MINIMALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES FOR INTERPRETING EORTC QLQ-C30 SCORES IN MELANOMA, BREAST CANCER AND HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS ON BEHALF OF THE EORTC BREAST, HEAD AND NECK, MELANOMA AND QUALITY OF LIFE GROUPS

Value in Health ◽

10.1016/j.jval.2018.09.460 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

pp. S78

Author(s):

Z.J. Musoro ◽

C. Coens ◽

F. Fiteni ◽

K. Pogoda ◽

F. Cardoso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Eortc Qlq C30 ◽

Eortc Qlq ◽

Head And Neck Melanoma

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PREVALENCE OF CANCER INDUCED CACHEXIA IN NON-DIGESTIVE TRACT MALIGNANCES: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

10.36106/ijar/7002901 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 6-8

Author(s):

Vikas Pal ◽

Dheerendra Kumar Sachan ◽

Akshay Kumar Nigam ◽

Sumit Gupta ◽

Ruchita Sachan

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Lung Cancer ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Gastrointestinal Tract ◽

Tract Cancer ◽

Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer ◽

Prevalence Of Cancer

Background: Complications due to cancer arise at any stage of treatment. May it be prior, during or after the treatment. Cachexia is one such complication, which is multifactorial and has a debilitating effect. The initial presentation is anorexia, followed by weight loss and then muscle wasting. It is associated with reduced quality of life, lower tolerance to treatments such as chemotherapy and thereby reducing the chances of survival. It is more severe in cancers of non-gastrointestinal tract. In this study we evaluated the prevalence of cancer induced cachexia in non-gastrointestinal tract cancers. Methodology: We had included 203 patients of age more than 18 years of either sex, with histopathologically conrmed cancer of different sites in the body other than gastrointestinal tract, who presented with sudden onset weight loss. Descriptive statistics was used for the assessment of cancer induced cachexia. All the data was presented in the form of numbers and percentages. Results: There was a male predominance (56.7%) with non-gastrointestinal tract cancer. Of these 203 patients, 69% had head and neck cancer, 13.7% had breast cancer, 6.4% had lung cancer, 4.9% had ovarian cancer, 3.9% had cervical cancer and 2.0% patients had lymphoma. 100 Patients with cancer induce cachexia consist of 49.3% of the total number of cases. Lung cancer is the most common cancer after gastrointestinal cancer presented with cachexia. Cachexia highest with lung cancer 46.1%, head and neck cancer 45.7%, carcinoma of ovary 40%, cervical cancer 25.3%, carcinoma of breast 28.5%, and lymphoma presented with 25%. Conclusion: The patients with non-gastrointestinal tract cancer should be made aware that on seeing any untoward changes prior, during or after their treatment, they should immediately seek appropriate support so as to prevent debilitating condition such as cancer induced cachexia. Preventive measures help in improving the quality of life with better treatment outcome.

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QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER ADULTS RECEIVING IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR THERAPY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1145 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S313-S313

Author(s):

Aasha I Hoogland ◽

Sarah L Eisel ◽

Nathaly E Irizarry-Arroyo ◽

Brian James ◽

Jori Mansfield ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Lung Cancer ◽

Older Adults ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Older Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Over Time

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have generated significant excitement for their ability to extend survival in patients with lung, head and neck, and other cancers. In older adults with cancer, emerging research suggests that ICIs improve overall and progression-free survival, but few studies have reported on quality of life (QOL). The goal of this study was to examine changes in QOL over time in older (65+ years) vs. younger (<65 years) lung and head and neck cancer patients. Eligible participants scheduled to begin ICI for lung or head and neck cancer completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy General (FACT-G) every 2-4 weeks until disease progression. Controlling for cancer site, age group differences in QOL over time were evaluated using linear mixed models. A total of 80 lung cancer (mean age=66.5, 55% female, 55% aged 65+) and 55 head and neck cancer patients (mean age=61.5, 15% female, 45% aged 65+) provided consent. At baseline, patients with head and neck cancer reported significantly lower overall QOL, physical well-being, and emotional well-being compared to patients with lung cancer (ps<.0001). Older patients had marginally higher baseline emotional well-being than younger patients (p=.07). Across groups, there were increases in social well-being (p=.04) and a trend toward decreasing physical well-being (p=.10) over time. Patients with head and neck cancer reported lower emotional well-being over time than patients with lung cancer (p<.01). There were no age differences in QOL over time. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to better understand QOL in older patients receiving ICIs.

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Quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors at 1 year after treatment: the mediating role of unmet supportive care needs

Supportive Care in Cancer ◽

10.1007/s00520-014-2278-0 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 2917-2926 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Winnie K. W. So ◽

K. C. Choi ◽

Joanne M. T. Chen ◽

Carmen W. H. Chan ◽

S. Y. Chair ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Supportive Care ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Care Needs ◽

Mediating Role

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Head and neck cancer patients want us to support them psychologically in the posttreatment period: Survey results

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951513000771 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 481-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Melissa Henry ◽

Laura-Anne Habib ◽

Matthew Morrison ◽

Ji Wei Yang ◽

Xuejiao Joanna Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Supportive Care ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Supportive Care Needs ◽

Care Needs

AbstractObjectives:No study systematically has investigated the supportive care needs of general head and neck cancer patients using validated measures. These needs include physical and daily living needs, health system and information needs, patient care and support needs, psychological needs, and sexuality needs. Identifying the unmet needs of head and neck cancer patients is a necessary first step to improving the care we provide to patients seen in our head and neck oncology clinics. It is recommended as the first step in intervention development in the Pan-Canadian Clinical Practice Guideline of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (see Howell, 2009). This study aimed to identify: (1) met and unmet supportive care needs of head and neck cancer patients, and (2) variability in needs according to demographics, disease variables, level of distress, and quality-of-life domains.Methods:Participants were recruited from the otolaryngology–head and neck surgery clinics of two university teaching hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires included sociodemographic and medical questions, as well as validated measures such as the Supportive Care Needs Survey–Short Form (SCNS-SF34), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G) and Head and Neck Module (FACT-H&N) (quality of life measures).Results:One hundred and twenty-seven patients participated in the survey. 68% of them experienced unmet needs, and 25% revealed a clinically significant distress level on the HADS. The highest unmet needs were psychological (7 of top 10 needs). A multiple linear regression indicated a higher level of overall unmet needs when patients were divorced, had a high level of anxiety (HADS subscale), were in poor physical condition, or had a diminished emotional quality of life (FACT-G subscales).Significance of results:The results of this study highlight the overwhelming presence of unmet psychological needs in head and neck cancer patients and underline the importance of implementing interventions to address these areas perceived by patients as important. In line with hospital resource allocation and cost-effectiveness, one may also contemplate screening patients for high levels of anxiety, as well as target patients who are divorced and present low levels of physical well-being, as these patients may have more overall needs to be met.

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