Short-term quality-of-life assessment and factors affecting quality of life in operated head and neck cancer patients: a prospective observational single-institutional study in an Indian subpopulation

Abstract There are various studies in the past which have analyzed quality of life and survival data; among them, many studies have highlighted the assessment of quality of life in a short time within a year, but very few studies have stressed the factors affecting this quality of life in operated head and neck cancer patients in the Indian subpopulation. Material and methods This prospectively designed study was conducted for 2 years with 88 of 124 patients completing the quality-of-life questionnaire. We utilized the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC 30) quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ) along with (EORTC-HN-35) prior to surgery (T0) and at 6-month (T1) and 12-month (84 patients) follow-up periods (T2). Variations in quality of life at these three time points were analyzed. Predictive factors like age, sex, comorbidity, location of tumor, tumor recurrence, stage of tumor, effect of radiotherapy, and type of flap used for reconstruction on QoL scores at 6 months after surgery were evaluated. Results Overall QoL scores showed no drop throughout the study period. However, patients experienced significant declines in social interactions, role function, and cognitive function following treatment. The pain domain of general symptoms showed notable improvement. Social eating, social contact, teeth problems, and speech demonstrated significant worsening at the 6-month assessment but remained steady between the 6- and 12-month evaluations. Symptoms like mouth opening, senses, swallowing function, dry mouth, and sticky saliva showed continuous deterioration until the first postoperative year. The primary determinants affecting QoL outcomes 6 months post-treatment were tumor characteristics like radiation therapy administration, lymph nodal involvement, and stage of malignancy. Conclusions Following extensive head and neck surgical procedures, patients maintained quality-of-life scores. EORTC questionnaire facilitates deeper understanding of the complex physical, psychological, and social challenges faced by our patients, thereby improving focused therapeutic interventions and reaching the fundamental aim of improving quality of life.