Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes Following IMRT Versus Conventional Radiotherapy for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 1354 - 1360
• Main Authors: Yao, Min, M.D., Ph.D, Karnell, Lucy H., Ph.D, Funk, Gerry F., M.D, Lu, Heming, M.D, Dornfeld, Ken, M.D., Ph.D, Buatti, John M., M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Aged; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - radiotherapy; CARCINOMAS; CHEMOTHERAPY; Female; HEAD; Health Status; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Intensity-modulated radiotherapy; Male; Middle Aged; NECK; Oropharyngeal neoplasms; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms - radiotherapy; PATIENTS; Quality of Life; Radiology; RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; RADIOTHERAPY; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; Treatment Outcome; Oropharyngeal neoplasms; Intensity-modulated radiotherapy; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0360-3016; 1879-355X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2007.05.003

Purpose To compare health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes of patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) vs. conventional radiotherapy (CRT). Patients and Methods Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were extracted from the database of an ongoing longitudinal Outcome Assessment Project. Eligible criteria included ( 1 ) treated with definitive radiation, and ( 2 ) provided 12-month posttreatment HRQOL data. Excluded were 7 patients who received IMRT before October 1, 2002, during this institution's developmental phase of the IMRT technique. The HRQOL outcomes of patients treated with IMRT were compared with those of patients who received CRT. Results Twenty-six patients treated using IMRT and 27 patients treated using CRT were included. Patients in the IMRT group were older and had more advanced-stage diseases and more patients received concurrent chemotherapy. However, the IMRT group had higher mean Head and Neck Cancer Inventory scores (which represent better outcomes) for each of the four head-and-neck cancer–specific domains, including eating, speech, aesthetics, and social disruption, at 12 months after treatment. A significantly greater percentage of patients in the CRT group had restricted diets compared with those in the IMRT group (48.0% vs. 16.0%, p = 0.032). At 3 months after treatment, both groups had significant decreases from pretreatment eating scores. However, the IMRT group had a significant improvement during the first year, but the CRT group had only small improvement. Conclusions Proper delivery of IMRT can improve HRQOL for patients with oropharyngeal cancer compared with CRT.