Assessment of functional outcome and quality of life after-treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objective To assess the functional outcome and impact on the quality of life after treatment for squamous cell carcinoma using Qol questionnaire. To assess the level of anxiety and depression among patients treated for SCC. To emphasize the implementation of the QoL questionnaire as a regular assessment tool to identify post-treated patients' special needs and improve care protocol. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was done with post-operative patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma, where a structured, closeended questionnaire was used comprised of 30 items that are intended to inquire about patient's post-operative status of quality of life based on standardized scales as EORTC Quality of life (QLQ-C30), Quality of life Questionnaire Head & Neck (QLQ-H&N35) and HADS Questionnaire of hospital Anxiety and depression scale. However, the sample was subdivided into three groups according to the treatment received Patients treated with surgery & reconstruction, Patients treated with Radiotherapy, and Patients treated with Surgery + Reconstruction and Radiotherapy respectively. The data was collected from three tertiary care hospitals and the total sample size was 120. Results and conclusion Treatment that included both surgery and radiotherapy resulted in the highest level of symptom burden and psychological morbidity including depression and anxiety. These changes were most devastating to younger patients as they mostly lamented over loss of bodily function, reduced ability to work and changes in body appearance became key determinants of social and psychological well-being. The study also highlights the need to establish a more long-term follow-up beyond treatment and perform a QoL questionnaire to discover per-patient needs.