Quality of Life in Long-Term Oral Cancer Survivors: A Comparison With Spanish General Population Norms

Herce Lopez, Javier; Rollon Mayordomo, Angel; Lozano Rosado, Rodrigo; Salazar Fernandez, Clara Isabel; Gallana, Silvia

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2008.12.039

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 67, Issue 8 , Pages 1607-1614, August 2009

Quality of Life in Long-Term Oral Cancer Survivors: A Comparison With Spanish General Population Norms

Javier Herce Lopez, MD
- Staff Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Herce Lopez: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Avenue Dr Fedriani s/n, Seville, Spain
Angel Rollon Mayordomo, MD
- Head, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
Rodrigo Lozano Rosado, MD
- Doctor in Training, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
Clara Isabel Salazar Fernandez, MD
- Staff Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain
Silvia Gallana, MD
- Staff Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain

Purpose

Health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) data are becoming an important supplement to information pertaining to treatment outcomes for cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the HRQOL of patients undergoing primary surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma ≥5 years after treatment compared with the Spanish general population norms.

Materials and Methods

A total of 50 oral cancer patients (mean age 55.78 years, 80% male) with cancer-free survival of ≥5 years after surgery were enrolled. HRQOL was assessed with a standardized questionnaire: the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item Health Survey.

Results

The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item Health Survey scores of the oral cancer patients did not differ significantly from those of an age- and gender-matched sample from the Spanish normative population, except for the pain and social functioning domains. The patients had significantly better results compared with the population norms (Wilcoxon test, P < .05) in the physical function, general health, and vitality domains.

Conclusions

These results provide patient-reported evidence that oral cancer survivors have a similar HRQOL compared with the general Spanish population. We also believe that it would be necessary to analyze the quality of life ≥5 years after treatment or from the moment the patient was discharged.