Table 2.
Mean scores of the scales and single items of questionnaire for patients with cancer of the head- and-neck treated with radiotherapy with or without surgery. A significant outcome presents a significant change in time towards improvement starting 6 weeks after RT.
| pre-RT | 6 weeks | 6 mo | 12 mo | 5 years | Significance | |
| EORTC QLQ-C30(+3) | ||||||
| Functioning scales* | ||||||
| Cognitive | 90.1 | 88.0 | 88.6 | 90.2 | 87.3 | NS |
| Emotional | 75.8 | 83.5 | 83.2 | 85.5 | 83.7 | NS |
| Physical | 80.6 | 85.0 | 85.0 | 87.0 | 85.1 | NS |
| Role | 75.8 | 83.5 | 83.2 | 85.5 | 83.7 | NS |
| Social | 86.9 | 88.8 | 89.4 | 93.6 | 87.8 | NS |
| Global QOL* | 71.6 | 73.3 | 80.1 | 81.6 | 80.6 | NS |
| Symptom scales† | ||||||
| Fatique | 24.3 | 30.5 | 26.8 | 23.4 | 27.5 | p < 0.01 |
| Pain | 14.3 | 11.6 | 15.0 | 8.6 | 12.0 | NS |
| Nausea and vomiting | 3.6 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | p < 0.01 |
| Single items† | ||||||
| Dyspnoea | 16.7 | 13.2 | 18.7 | 15.4 | 14.3 | NS |
| Insomnia | 24.6 | 25.6 | 21.1 | 17.0 | 15.5 | p < 0.01 |
| Appetite loss | 7.9 | 14.0 | 8.9 | 7.7 | 10.1 | p < 0.05 |
| Constipation | 3.2 | 10.1 | 5.7 | 7.7 | 7.0 | NS |
| Diarrhoea | 1.6 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 6.0 | 0.0 | NS |
| Financial problems | 5.6 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 5.7 | NS |
| EORTC QLQ-H&N35 | ||||||
| Symptom scales-single items† | ||||||
| Pain | 10.6 | 19.4 | 19.1 | 15.5 | 9.5 | p < 0.01 |
| Swallowing | 9.8 | 20.5 | 18.2 | 11.4 | 9.9 | p < 0.01 |
| Senses (taste/smell) | 5.6 | 23.3 | 17.1 | 12.0 | 12.3 | p < 0.01 |
| Speech | 23.8 | 17.8 | 15.0 | 11.5 | 14.4 | p < 0.01 |
| Social eating | 7.9 | 19.8 | 14.8 | 10.7 | 10.6 | p < 0.01 |
| Social contact | 4.0 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 | NS |
| Sexuality | 14.8 | 78.7 | 17.1 | 20.7 | 25.4 | NS |
| Teeth | 10.5 | 31.8 | 21.1 | 19.8 | 18.7 | NS |
| Open mouth (trismus) | 11.1 | 14.0 | 15.5 | 9.4 | 13.9 | NS |
| Dry mouth | 11.9 | 48.8 | 50.4 | 47.0 | 41.1 | p = 0.01 |
| Sticky saliva | 14.6 | 46.5 | 40.7 | 35.0 | 24.6 | p < 0.01 |
| Cough | 17.5 | 23.3 | 26.0 | 18.8 | 13.5 | p < 0.01 |
| Nutrition supplements | 7.3 | 32.6 | 12.2 | 12.8 | 4.9 | p < 0.01 |
*Higher score indicates better function. † Higher score indicates more symptoms. ‡ Significance based on ordinal regression model using non-transformed data. QLQ, quality of life; RT, radiotherapy; NS, not significant.