Table 6.
The comparisons of EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 scales for head and neck cancer survivors by different RT techniques
| 2DRT (n = 371) |
3DCRT (n = 127) |
IMRT (n = 142) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | p | |
| EORTC QLQ-C30 | ||||
| Global quality of life | 51.7 (19.9) | 56.2 (18.6) | 60.7 (19.7)b, | <0.01 |
| Physical functioning | 83.1 (17.7) | 86.2 (14.1) | 86.7 (14.6)b | 0.039 |
| Role functioning | 85.6 (22.2) | 86.7 (19.4) | 88.1 (19.1) | NS |
| Emotional functioning | 76.6 (20.8) | 79.8 (18.0) | 79.6 (19.8) | NS |
| Cognitive functioning | 77.2 (20.7) | 79.9 (16.6) | 80.0 (20.1) | NS |
| Social functioning | 73.4 (26.0) | 76.7 (20.3) | 78.1 (22.0) | NS |
| Fatigue | 31.0 (21.1) | 26.9 (16.8) | 26.5 (21.0) | NS |
| Nausea/Vomiting | 10.3 (19.2) | 7.7 (13.6) | 8.2 (15.5) | NS |
| Pain | 23.9 (24.1) | 18.5 (16.9) | 19.7 (21.7) | NS |
| Dyspnea | 16.2 (23.4) | 15.8 (18.8) | 12.1 (18.7) | NS |
| Insomnia | 26.9 (27.5) | 25.6 (22.1) | 25.4 (25.0) | NS |
| Appetite loss | 21.7 (26.7) | 18.8 (20.9) | 16.4 (21.2) | NS |
| Constipation | 19.8 (25.2) | 19.2 (22.5) | 17.1 (20.4) | NS |
| Diarrhea | 14.8 (21.3) | 12.4 (17.8) | 13.3 (17.6) | NS |
| Financial problems | 27.1 (28.1) | 23.1 (24.1) | 27.6 (26.7) | NS |
| EORTC QLQ-HN35 | ||||
| Pain | 20.8 (22.6) | 18.4 (16.7) | 15.2 (17.7) | NS |
| Swallowing | 33.3 (25.6) | 28.0 (22.4) | 23.9 (21.5)b | <0.01 |
| Senses (taste/smell) | 29.4 (29.0) | 26.3 (28.1) | 20.6 (22.7)b | <0.01 |
| Speech | 29.6 (26.4) | 29.5 (25.7) | 22.4 (24.0)b | 0.013 |
| Social eating | 31.0 (27.5) | 28.5 (27.0) | 21.9 (24.3)b | <0.01 |
| Social contact | 21.0 (24.1) | 22.7 (24.7) | 16.6 (20.3)b | <0.01 |
| Sexuality | 27.4 (28.9) | 27.0 (28.0) | 21.5 (23.8) | NS |
| Teeth | 43.2 (30.6) | 34.7 (29.1)a | 31.2 (26.0)b | <0.01 |
| Opening mouth | 36.5 (31.7) | 30.2 (30.4) | 25.4 (31.1)b | <0.01 |
| Dry mouth | 54.0 (31.9) | 43.8 (28.2)a | 41.0 (27.9)b | <0.01 |
| Sticky saliva | 45.1 (32.3) | 35.8 (26.1)a | 33.6 (27.9)b | <0.01 |
| Coughing | 31.0 (26.9) | 29.5 (24.2) | 24.5 (21.7) | NS |
| Feeling ill | 32.3 (26.3) | 26.3 (23.0) | 24.0 (23.2)b | <0.01 |
Abbreviations: RT = radiotherapy; 2DRT = two dimensional RT; 3DCRT = three dimensional conformal RT; IMRT = intensity-modulated RT; a: p < 0.05, 3DCRT compared with 2DRT; b: p < 0.05, IMRT compared with 2DRT