Prevalence of Functional Problems After Oral Cavity Malignancy Treatment at a Tertiary Center: Utilizing PSS HN (Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck) Scale

• Published in: Journal of maxillofacial and oral surgery Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 38 - 44
• Main Authors: Yadav, Kaushal, Nair, Deepa, Agarwal, Jaiprakash, Chakrabarti, Swagnik, Joshi, Sanmit, Ingole, Pranav, Mishra, Aseem, Tathe, Nitin, Chaturvedi, Pankaj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.03.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cancer therapies; Dentistry; Head & neck cancer; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morbidity; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Oral cancer; Otorhinolaryngology; Patients; Plastic Surgery; Quality of life; Research Paper; Surgery; Tongue; Variables; PSS HN (Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck) scale; Oral Malignancies; Functional outcome; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0972-8279; 0974-942X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12663-015-0805-2

Background Oral cancer is the most common type of cancer occurring in India and it is equally important to assess morbidities after treatment for optimal utilization of resources. Utilizing PSS HN we try to identify the patient population who are severely impaired and need aggressive rehabilitation. Method and Material The PSSHN questionnaire was administered by the treating physician to 100 consecutive oral cancer patients who completed their index treatment at least 6 months prior to accrual. Functional morbidities with score ≤50 were considered as significant. Results Prevalence of functional deficit of eating in public; deficit of understandability of speech and deficit of normalcy of diet were 28, 13 and 38 % respectively. Conclusion Type of resection either segmental mandibulectomy or major glossectomy, had most significant impact on concerned functional deficits and surgeries involving these defects should be carefully planned to involve free flap reconstruction and proper postoperative rehabilitation.