Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-zlvph Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-16T14:38:53.933Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Unmet needs, quality of life and psychological distress: insights regarding head and neck cancer patients in a rural setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2022

M Sunderland ,
C Matthews ,
D Waterhouse ,
S Shetty  and
R P Morton
M Sunderland*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northland District Health Board, Whangarei, New Zealand Department of Otolaryngology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
C Matthews
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northland District Health Board, Whangarei, New Zealand
D Waterhouse
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northland District Health Board, Whangarei, New Zealand
S Shetty
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northland District Health Board, Whangarei, New Zealand Department of Otolaryngology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand
R P Morton
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Michael Sunderland, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Northland District Health Board, Private Bag 9742, Whangarei 0148, New Zealand E-mail: michael.sunderland@northlanddhb.org.nz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the perceived quality of life, unmet needs and psychological distress in patients with head and neck cancer in a rural setting in New Zealand.

Method

Patients presenting with head and neck cancer in Northland, New Zealand, were asked to complete questionnaires on quality of life, unmet needs, and anxiety or depression together with a free-text option.

Results

About one quarter of respondents (27 per cent) scored high in the anxiety and depression scale, with corresponding diminished quality of life scores and increased needs. Over half of respondents (54 per cent) found it challenging to travel for treatment. Financial difficulties were encountered more frequently with indigenous patients. Rurality alone does not lead to significant differences in quality of life or needs.

Conclusion

After treatment for head and neck cancer, it is important to monitor and manage patients’ psychological distress and ease of access to health services to improve quality of life.

Keywords

Head And Neck NeoplasmsQuality Of LifeDepressionAnxietyPsychological Distress

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 137 , Issue 1 , January 2023 , pp. 89 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

Dr M Sunderland takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

Presented at New Zealand Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting, 17–19 October 2018, Queenstown, New Zealand.

References

Jemal, A, Bray, F, Center, MM, Ferlay, J, Ward, E, Forman, D. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 2011;61:69–90CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jabbari, S, Kim, HM, Feng, M, Lin, A, Tsien, C, Elshaikh, M et al. Matched case–control study of quality of life and xerostomia after intensity-modulated radiotherapy or standard radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer: initial report. Int J Radiat Oncol 2005;63:725–31CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rathod, S, Livergant, J, Klein, J, Witterick, I, Ringash, J. A systematic review of quality of life in head and neck cancer treated with surgery with or without adjuvant treatment. Oral Oncol 2015;51:888–900CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morton, RP. Toward comprehensive multidisciplinary care for head and neck cancer patients: quality of life versus survival. Otolaryng Head Neck 2012;147:404–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Giuliani, M, McQuestion, M, Jones, J, Papadakos, J, Le, LW, Alkazaz, N et al. Prevalence and nature of survivorship needs in patients with head and neck cancer. Head Neck 2016;38:1097–103CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistics New Zealand. 2013 Census ethnic group profiles. 2013. In: http://archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/ethnic-profiles.aspx [28 April 2018]Google Scholar
Amin, MB, Edge, S, Greene, F, Byrd, DR, Brookland, RK, Washington, MK et al. AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 8th edn. New York: Springer International Publishing, 2017CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aaronson, NK, Ahmedzai, S, Bergman, B, Bullinger, M, Cull, A, Duez, NJ et al. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85:365–76CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fayers, P, Aaronson, NK, Bjordal, K, Grønvold, M, Curran, D, Bottomley, A. EORTC QLQ-C30 scoring manual. 2001. In: https://www.eortc.be/qol/files/SCManualQLQ-C30.pdf [28 April 2018]Google Scholar
Bjordal, K, De Graeff, A, Fayers, P, Hammerlid, E, van Pottelsberghe, C, Curran, D et al. A 12 country field study of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and the head and neck cancer specific module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) in head and neck patients. Eur J Cancer 2000;36:1796–807CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abel, E, Silander, E, Nyman, J, Bove, M, Johansson, L, Björk-Eriksson, T et al. Impact on quality of life of IMRT versus 3-D conformal radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients: a case control study. Adv Radiat Oncol 2017;2:346–53CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Driessen, CM, Groenewoud, JM, de Boer, JP, Gelderblom, H, van der Graaf, WT, Prins, JB et al. Quality of life of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer treated with induction chemotherapy followed by cisplatin-containing chemoradiotherapy in the Dutch CONDOR study: a randomized controlled trial. Support Care Cancer 2018;26:1233–42CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hammerlid, E, Silander, E, Hörnestam, L, Sullivan, M. Health-related quality of life three years after diagnosis of head and neck cancer—a longitudinal study. Head Neck 2001;23:113–253.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nutting, CM, Morden, JP, Harrington, KJ, Urbano, TG, Bhide, SA, Clark, C et al. Parotid-sparing intensity modulated versus conventional radiotherapy in head and neck cancer (PARSPORT): a phase 3 multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol 2011;12:127–36CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodgkinson, K, Butow, P, Hunt, G, Pendlebury, S, Hobbs, K, Lo, S et al. The development and evaluation of a measure to assess cancer survivors' unmet supportive care needs: the CaSUN (Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure). Psychooncology 2007;16:796–804CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ringash, J, O'Sullivan, MB, Bezjak, A, Redelmeier, DA. Interpreting clinically significant changes in patient-reported outcomes. Cancer 2007;110:196–202CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maringwa, JT, Quinten, C, King, M, Ringash, J, Osoba, D, Coens, C et al. Minimal important differences for interpreting health-related quality of life scores from the EORTC QLQ-C30 in lung cancer patients participating in randomized controlled trials. Support Care Cancer 2011;19:1753–60CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, M. The interpretation of scores from the EORTC quality of life questionnaire QLQ-C30. Qual Life Res 1996;5:555–67CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osoba, D, Rodrigues, G, Myles, J, Zee, B, Pater, J. Interpreting the significance of changes in health-related quality-of-life scores. J Clin Oncol 1998;16:139–44CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morton, RP, Izzard, ME. Quality-of-life outcomes in head and neck cancer patients. World J Surg 2003;27:884–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, EE, LaMonte, SJ, Erb, NL, Beckman, KL, Sadeghi, N, Hutcheson, KA et al. American Cancer Society head and neck cancer survivorship care guideline. Cancer J Clin 2016;66:203–39CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jefford, M, Karahalios, E, Pollard, A, Baravelli, C, Carey, M, Franklin, J et al. Survivorship issues following treatment completion—results from focus groups with Australian cancer survivors and health professionals. J Cancer Surviv 2008;2:20–32CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Myles, B, Phyllis, B, Eleanor, OS, Rachael, GH, Aileen, T, Linda, S. The financial impact of head and neck cancer caregiving: a qualitative study. Psychooncology 2016;25:1441–7Google Scholar
de Souza, JA, Kung, S, O'Connor, J, Yap, BJ. Determinants of patient-centered financial stress in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. J Oncol Prac 2017;13:e310–e8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
LaGrandeur, W, Armin, J, Howe, CL, Ali-Akbarian, L. Survivorship care plan outcomes for primary care physicians, cancer survivors, and systems: a scoping review. J Cancer Surviv 2018;12:334–47CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed