ASSESSMENT OF FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH STAGE III-IV OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER

Introduction. Quality of life (QoL) studies in patients with oropharyngeal cancer can assist in formulating targeted treatment plans, optimising patient care, and improving follow-up strategies. Aim. To conduct a dynamic prospective study of the quality of life in patients with stage III-IV oropharyngeal cancer, focusing on assessing long-term functional treatment outcomes. Materials and methods. A comprehensive study involved clinical and morphological examinations, pathohistological and immunohistochemical analyses of selected biopsy samples, and QoL assessments in 120 patients with stage III-IV oropharyngeal cancer (T3-4N0-3M0-1). These patients underwent inpatient treatment at the ENT-2 (oncology) department of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital named after I.I. Mechnikov, Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, between 2018 and 2023. QoL was assessed at three time points: during treatment, and 3- and 6-months post-treatment, by bioethical principles and using the EORTC QLQ-HN43 questionnaire module. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel (https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web) and R Commander (version 4.2.1 – https://www.R-project.org). Results. Patients who underwent comprehensive treatment (surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy) demonstrated better short-term QoL outcomes 3 months post-treatment compared to those who received monotherapy. However, these patients also exhibited increased levels of anxiety. By 6 months post-treatment, all patients experienced significant improvements in QoL, including reduced pain and improved swallowing function. Comprehensive treatment, including surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy, was more effective in achieving short-term QoL improvements than monotherapy. Despite elevated anxiety levels, the treatment strategy showed an overall positive impact on both functional and psychosocial aspects of patients' QoL. Conclusions. The selected treatment strategy, grounded in comprehensive clinical and morphological examinations and immunohistochemical analyses, proved to be effective. This was evidenced by significant improvements in QoL, particularly in terms of pain reduction and swallowing function, observed 6 months post-treatment.