Effectiveness of Prosthetic Rehabilitation and Quality of Life of Older Edentulous Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Following Resection of the Maxilla. A Cross-sectional Study

PurposeTo evaluate the effectiveness of the prosthetic rehabilitation, as well as the quality of life (QOL) of older edentulous maxillectomy patients.MethodsEffectiveness of the complete denture obturator prosthesis and QOL of 44 older patients who had resection of the maxilla and were restored with a definitive prosthesis that was in use for minimum 1 year was assessed using 3 instruments: European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), Head and Neck Cancer Module (QLQ-HN35), and Obturator Functioning Scale (OFS). Data analysis was performed by the one-way ANOVA on ranks, Spearman rank order correlation, and hierarchical multivariable rank regression at α=.05 level of significance.ResultsParticipants’ gender (P<.001), adjuvant treatment (P =.016), surgical approach (P =.017), size of the maxillary defect (P=.028), participants’ prosthetic history (P =.047), and dental status of the mandible (P =.038) were significantly related to the self-reported effectiveness of the obturator. Perceived functioning of the complete denture obturator prosthesis (P=.001), participants’ gender (P=.002), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status (P=.027), and surgical approach (P=.039) were significant predictors of QOL. ConclusionRestoration of the edentulous maxillectomy defect is challenging. An effective definitive complete denture obturator appeared to be the strongest predictor for advanced quality of life in older maxillectomy patients. The physical status of the older participants significantly affected the overall QOL, but did not influence the self-reported functioning of the complete denture obturator prosthesis.