ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the influencing factors on the postoperative quality of life and to analyze the coping styles of patients with oral cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 131 oral cancer cases confirmed through diagnostic criteria were investigated to analyze the influencing factors on the quality of life (QOL) and the relationship between coping style and QOL of these patients by using the fourth edition of the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UWQOL) and medical coping modes questionnaires (MCMQ), respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 131 questionnaires collected, only 126 were valid with a recovery rate of 96.18% (126/131). Single factor analysis showed that age, marital status, educational level, other systemic diseases, personal income level, tooth loss, operation times, adjuvant radiotherapy, cancer staging, cervical lymph node dissection, recurrence, and jaw resection yielded different UWQOL scale scores (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the loss of teeth, cancer staging, recurrence, and jaw resection yielded statistically significant differences in the total score of UWQOL (P<0.05). Among the coping styles, the average scores of "confrontation", "avoidance", and "yielding" were 17.54±4.97, 17.79±2.19, and 12.97±5.70, respectively. Compared with the norm, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that "confrontation" and "avoidance" were positively correlated, whereas "yielding" was negatively correlated to QOL (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Age, marital status, educational level, other systemic diseases, personal income level, tooth loss, operation times, adjuvant radiotherapy, cancer staging, cervical lymph node dissection, recurrence, and jaw resection have different effects on the quality of QOL. Tooth loss, cancer staging, recurrence, and jaw resection are the main causative factors affecting the patients' perceived QOL. Personalized treatment and nursing care should be strengthened to improve the coping style and quality of life of patients.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The quality of life (QOL) related to oral cancer has recently become a focus of clinical studies. This study aims to systematically review the current research situation of QOL of local and foreign oral cancer patients and explore the existing related problems and future research directions to provide references and solutions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Through relevant key words, PubMed, Wiley InterScience, Science Direct, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were first searched. The related target literature from 2000 to 2017 were screened. Finally, the frequency of oral cancer related to QOL scale used in literature was calculated, and the related scales were briefly introduced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From the target literature, 218 English target literature, 55 Chinese target literature, 24 English scales, and 12 Chinese scales were selected. The most widely used scales for assessing the QOL of patients with oral cancer were as follows: University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL), European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30/Head and Neck 35 (EORTC QLQ-C30/H&N35), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT-H&N), and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The QOL related to oral cancer was well underway, and the study of geographical distribution was widespread. However, the work on self-developed scale remains inadequate. UW-QOL, EORTC QLQ-C30/H&N35, and FACT-H&N can be utilized as the preferred scales for evaluating the QOL of oral cancer patients. A specific disease-related function scale can also be selected according to specific research objectives.</p>