Table 3.

Overview of the course of the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 scales

		Before treatment			6 weeks after treatment			6 months after treatment			12 months after treatment			18 months after treatment			24 months after treatment
		n	m	SD	n	m	SD	n	m	SD	n	m	SD	n	m	SD	n	m	SD
QLQ-H&N35
Oral pain	HPV-negative	186	37.0	27.7	150	34.7	29.7	141	32.0	26.7	122	32.9	26.4	98	34.2	28.1	86	28.0	24.8
	HPV-positive	75	22.3	23.8	57	24.9	21.0	60	31.4	26.5	53	23.3	23.2	46	22.1	23.4	40	25.2	23.5
Swallowing	HPV-negative	162	27.8	24.6	136	34.9	29.8	129	31.1	26.9	104	30.3	25.9	90	33.1	27.2	82	30.0	28.5
	HPV-positive	72	21.8	25.7	55	29.5	27.3	56	35.1	29.9	46	27.2	28.7	41	25.6	25.9	37	22.7	21.1
Senses	HPV-negative	184	18.7	24.4	146	22.7	27.5	142	24.3	27.8	116	26.3	28.0	101	21.6	27.6	89	24.0	26.0
	HPV-positive	77	16.5	24.7	57	22.2	25.5	59	22.3	26.0	51	17.2	21.7	45	19.3	23.8	41	16.7	22.0
Speech	HPV-negative	182	18.3	20.7	145	22.3	24.5	139	19.0	22.2	117	19.5	20.1	97	20.5	22.9	86	17.8	22.7
	HPV-positive	76	12.3	20.0	58	16.7	24.0	61	19.9	23.4	54	14.8	18.3	47	16.3	22.2	41	11.4	17.8
Social eating	HPV-negative	168	23.9	24.2	139	30.8	29.6	126	30.8	26.5	101	32.3	27.0	87	30.3	25.9	77	31.0	29.7
	HPV-positive	72	21.5	28.4	54	28.9	27.7	53	28.3	28.4	46	23.2	28.7	43	24.8	26.1	38	18.0	23.6
Social contact	HPV-negative	172	7.4	12.0	140	11.6	17.9	134	12.4	19.6	108	11.5	18.4	95	10.2	15.0	82	9.7	16.5
	HPV-positive	72	5.5	15.0	56	9.4	18.7	60	10.3	19.5	52	4.6	11.2	47	5.5	15.8	39	3.8	6.1
Sexuality	HPV-negative	148	31.9	35.7	117	34.3	37.7	104	27.6	35.4	94	31.2	32.1	78	30.8	35.6	63	34.1	35.8
	HPV-positive	65	23.6	33.8	49	32.3	34.8	56	31.0	35.7	48	28.5	35.4	40	25.4	32.9	39	21.0	28.5
Problems with teeth	HPV-negative	178	22.8	32.3	138	27.5	36.0	133	26.3	34.8	107	21.5	28.7	93	22.6	31.5	87	20.3	29.8
	HPV-positive	76	14.0	27.9	55	14.5	27.0	60	15.6	29.1	51	15.0	26.1	46	14.5	25.0	40	13.3	27.0
Problems opening mouth	HPV-negative	188	34.6	34.9	152	36.4	36.7	142	35.9	35.7	122	41.3	34.8	102	35.0	37.0	90	35.9	35.8
	HPV-positive	78	27.8	32.9	58	29.9	35.7	61	37.2	35.0	53	29.6	33.8	47	29.1	35.2	41	26.8	31.0
Dry mouth	HPV-negative	190	45.4	36.4	152	51.5	36.8	142	53.8	37.2	120	53.3	35.7	102	50.3	36.0	89	51.7	40.8
	HPV-positive	78	43.2	36.5	58	62.1	33.3	61	60.7	51.1	54	50.0	37.1	47	48.9	36.7	41	41.5	28.7
Sticky saliva	HPV-negative	188	41.8	33.4	150	48.9	37.2	137	49.6	64.6	118	50.8	35.3	98	46.9	35.8	85	43.5	35.6
	HPV-positive	78	35.5	35.0	55	49.1	35.1	61	41.0	35.2	51	40.5	37.3	46	39.1	35.3	40	36.7	32.7
Coughed	HPV-negative	189	25.4	27.5	152	29.2	27.7	142	26.5	26.5	122	30.6	29.6	101	26.4	30.3	90	23.7	27.0
	HPV-positive	77	19.5	26.7	58	28.7	25.3	61	29.0	26.2	54	22.8	29.5	47	22.7	23.2	41	23.6	30.0
Feeling ill	HPV-negative	189	17.8	25.6	152	20.0	28.5	142	16.4	26.6	121	19.8	29.7	102	19.0	29.9	90	16.3	27.5
	HPV-positive	77	12.6	24.8	58	13.2	19.7	61	18.0	26.2	54	13.6	25.5	47	9.9	19.6	41	14.6	26.9
Painkillers	HPV-negative	187	50.8	50.1	153	50.3	50.2	144	53.5	50.1	123	56.1	49.8	103	46.6	50.1	87	51.7	50.3
	HPV-positive	75	33.3	47.5	58	36.2	48.5	61	44.3	50.1	54	38.9	49.2	47	36.2	48.6	41	46.3	50.5
Nutritional supplements	HPV-negative	185	44.3	49.8	148	48.0	50.1	143	53.2	50.1	119	51.3	50.2	102	50.0	50.2	87	42.5	49.7
	HPV-positive	74	36.5	48.5	58	39.7	49.3	62	40.3	49.5	54	29.6	46.1	46	32.4	47.4	41	26.8	44.9
Feeding tube	HPV-negative	185	19.4	39.7	150	24.0	42.9	144	18.1	38.6	123	19.5	39.8	103	18.5	39.0	87	16.1	37.0
	HPV-positive	75	14.7	35.6	58	22.4	42.1	62	24.2	43.2	53	28.3	45.5	47	14.9	36.0	41	9.8	30.0
Lost weight	HPV-negative	184	31.0	46.4	151	37.8	48.6	142	38.7	53.1	123	29.3	45.7	100	37.0	48.5	87	33.3	47.4
	HPV-positive	73	21.9	41.7	58	22.4	42.1	61	32.8	47.3	53	20.8	40.9	47	17.0	38.0	41	14.6	35.8
Gained weight	HPV-negative	182	29.7	45.8	149	32.2	46.9	140	27.9	45.0	122	31.2	46.5	101	31.7	46.8	86	29.1	45.7
	HPV-positive	72	31.9	47.0	58	31.0	46.7	60	26.7	44.6	53	30.2	46.3	47	29.8	46.2	41	22.0	41.9

m mean; SD standard deviation

Scores are based on a scale of 0–100, with a higher score suggesting a higher level of symptoms or problems