Patient support for head and neck cancer patients

Patients with head and neck cancer face various problems, including physical problems (such as pain caused by the tumor, dysphagia, and respiratory dysfunction) , aesthetic problems due to changes in appearance, mental problems such as anxiety and depression, financial problems such as medical expenses and living expenses, and employment problems.The support required differs depending on the time of diagnosis, the time when radical treatment such as surgery or chemotherapy is required, the time of palliative chemotherapy for distant metastasis or recurrence, and the time when palliative care is required.The patient backgrounds are also becoming more complex, and there is an increase in cases of elderly people living alone, elderly people caring for elderly people, and people caring for people with illnesses.We discuss the patient support that is considered necessary in the treatment of head and neck cancer.