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COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Quality of Life in Newly Diagnosed Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery ; 167(1 Supplement):P197, 2022.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-2064415
ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The head and neck cancer (HNC) disease and treatment process creates highly visible disfigurement and a fundamental impact on vital functions in this anatomical region, which can lead to an emotionally traumatic illness experience. These factors make HNC patients vulnerable to significant change in quality of life (QOL). There has been little research regarding the psychosocial effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on this group, and we want to explore how their QOL has changed in this unique situation. Method(s) This is a retrospective study identifying 400 patients with newly diagnosed HNC in the time period of March 2015 to March 2021 who completed the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL), collected as part of routine clinical care at our institution. Patients diagnosed between March 2015 and December 2019 were classified in the pre-COVID-19 group, while those diagnosed between March 2020 and March 2021 were classified in the COVID-19 group. Only patients with newly diagnosed HNC who completed the UW-QOL were included. Patients with a diagnosis of skin, thyroid, and sinonasal cancer;those who were unwilling or unable to take part in the study;and those with recurrent HNC were excluded. Result(s) A total of 353 participants who met criteria were included. Patients diagnosed with HNC during the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly decreased scores in the chewing and speech sections of the UW-QOL (P<.01 and P<.05, respectively). More patients ranked a decreased mood as a point of concern in the COVID-19 group (29.82% vs 26.45%). There were no significant differences in global QOL scores between groups. Conclusion(s) HNC patients experienced a similar overall QOL prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some domains of HNC-specific QOL were negatively affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients had more concerns about their mood during the pandemic compared with before the pandemic. The results of this study may be used to inform patient treatment and patient education as well as to alleviate pandemic-related concerns for this vulnerable population.
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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Year: 2022 Document Type: Article