Patterns of symptom burden during radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a prospective analysis using the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module.

ABSTRACT: A prospective longitudinal study to profile patient-reported symptoms during radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for head and neck cancer was performed. The goals were to understand the onset and trajectory of specific symptoms and their severity, identify clusters, and facilitate symptom interventions and clinical trial design.Participants in this questionnaire-based study received RT or CCRT. They completed the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module before and weekly during treatment. Symptom scores were compared between treatment groups, and hierarchical cluster analysis was used to depict clustering of symptoms at treatment end. Variables believed to predict symptom severity were assessed using a multivariate mixed model.Among the 149 patients studied, the majority (47%) had oropharyngeal tumors, and nearly one-half received CCRT. Overall symptom severity (P?

SUBMITTER: Rosenthal DI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4095802 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature