Persistent Post-radiotherapy Pain and Locoregional Recurrence in Head and Neck Cancer-Is There a Hidden Link?
The Korean Journal of Pain
; : 116-121, 2015.
Article
in En
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-164809
Responsible library:
WPRO
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To explore the relationship between persistent post-radiotherapy pain and locoregional recurrence in head and neck cancer patients. METHODS: Five year retrospective data was reviewed of 86 patients of head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy who continued to have pain at 6 weeks after completion of treatment. At follow-up after 3 months, these patients were stratified into: Group A (n = 39) constituted of patients whose pain subsided and Group B (n = 47) were patients who continued to have persistent pain. RESULTS: At median follow-up time of 25 months (range: 8-47), one patient (2.6%) and 18 (38.3%) patients in group A and group B had locoregional recurrence respectively (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, group B patients had higher mean pain score levels as compared to group A (P = 0.03). Patients in whom pain subsided within 3 months had statistically much greater disease-free survival in comparison to those with persistent pain (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Pain in head and neck cancer is an important symptom and should be considered a poor prognostic factor. In the current study, the majority of the patients with persistent pain had recurrent disease as compared to those in whom pain subsided within 3 months of post-treatment. It is suggested that patients with persistent pain need more intense follow-up and should be investigated thoroughly to detect recurrence at an early stage to provide a better quality of life.
Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
WPRIM
Main subject:
Quality of Life
/
Radiotherapy
/
Recurrence
/
Retrospective Studies
/
Follow-Up Studies
/
Disease-Free Survival
/
Head
/
Head and Neck Neoplasms
/
Neck
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
The Korean Journal of Pain
Year:
2015
Type:
Article