Table 4.
QLQ-H&N35:Quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer during antineoplastic treatment (n = 63)
| Quality of Life domains | T0 | T1 | T2 | p-value | ∆T1-T0 n (%) |
∆T2-T1 n (%) |
∆T2-T0 n (%) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Median (p25-p75) | Mean (SD) | Median (p25-p75) | Mean (SD) | Median (p25-p75) | ≥ ± 10 score points n (%) | ||||
| Speech problems | 27.33 (31.54) | 11.11 (0.0–55.55) | 29.10 (32.08) | 33.33 (8.33–58.33) | 32.27 (25.68) | 25 (0.0–50) | 0.139 | 23 (36.5) | 27 (42.9) | 26 (41.3) |
| Social contact | 9.62 (14.55) | 0.0 (0.0–13.33) | 13.75 (20.13) | 0.0 (0.0–20) | 13.86 (18.67) | 6.66 (0.0–20) | 0.211 | 20 (31.7) | 14 (22.2) | 19 (30.2) |
| Teeth | 11.64 (28.81) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 14.81 (32.66) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 13.75 (29.71) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.753 | 9 (14.3) | 8 (12.7) | 10 (15.9) |
| Opening mouth or trismus | 18.51 (36.30) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 22.22 (36.41) | 0.0 (0.0–33.33) | 28.57 (39.19) | 0.0 (0.00–66.66) | 0.113 | 10 (15.9) | 13 (20.6) | 14 (22.2) |
| Dry mouth | 18.51 (36.30) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 22.22 (36.41) | 0.0 (0.0–33.33) | 28.57 (39.19) | 0.0 (0.00–66.66) | 0.113 | 10 (15.9) | 13 (20.6) | 14 (22.2) |
| Sticky saliva | 38.09 (39.19) | 33.33 (0.0–66.66) | 65.60 (39.24) | 66.66 (33.33–100) | 65.60 (37.84) | 66.66 (33.33–100) | < 0.001a | 39 (61.9) | 16 (25.4) | 38 (60.3) |
| Felt ill | 24.86 (37.84) | 0.0 (0.0–66.66) | 25.92 (37.12) | 0.0 (0.0–33.33) | 31.21 (39.65) | 0.0 (0.00–66.66) | 0.147 | 15 (23.8) | 18 (28.6) | 9 (14.3) |
| Pain killers | 63.49 (48.53) | 100 (0–100) | 69.84 (46.26) | 100 (0–100) | 69.84 (46.26) | 100 (0–100) | 0.467 | 9 (14.3) | 7 (11.1) | 9 (14.3) |
| Nutritional supplements | 25.39 (43.87) | 0.0 (0–100) | 68.25 (46.92) | 100 (0–100) | 73.01 (44.74) | 100 (0–100) | < 0.001a | 29 (46.0) | 8 (12.7) | 31 (49.2) |
| Feeding tube | 6.34 (24.58) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 22.22 (41.90) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 23.60 (42.93) | 0.0 (0.0–0.0) | 0.001 | 10 (15.9) | 4 (6.3) | 12 (19.0) |
| Weight loss | 50.79 (50.39) | 100 (0.0–100) | 53.96 (50.24) | 100 (0.0–100) | 52.38 (50.34) | 100 (0.0–100) | 0.924 | 16 (25.4) | 9 (14.3) | 14 (22.2) |
| Weight gain | 25.39 (43.87) | 0.0 (0.0–100) | 31.74 (46.92) | 0.0 (0.0–100) | 42.85 (49.88) | 0.0 (0.0–100) | 0.076 | 14 (22.2) | 16 (25.4) | 17 (27.0) |
P-values followed by letters differed statistically according to the post hoc test at the 5% probability level (Friedman test and Dunn post hoc test ajusted by Bonferroni: a difference between T0 and T1, and T0 and T2. ∆ T1-T0, ∆ T2-T1 and ∆ T2-T0 ≥ 10 or ≤ −10 score points: clinically significant negative difference