Long-term quality of life after swallowing and salivary-sparing chemo-intensity modulated radiation therapy in survivors of human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer

Jeffrey M. Vainshtein, Dominic H. Moon, Felix Y. Feng, Douglas B. Chepeha, Avraham Eisbruch, Matthew H. Stenmark

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 2 prospective studies of chemo-intensity modulated radiation therapy (chemo-IMRT) for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Methods and Materials Of 93 patients with stage III/IV OPC treated on prospective studies of swallowing and salivary organ-sparing chemo-IMRT, 69 were eligible for long-term HRQOL assessment. Three validated patient-reported instruments, the Head and Neck QOL (HNQOL) questionnaire, the University of Washington quality of life (UWQOL) questionnaire, and the Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), previously administered from baseline through 2 years in the parent studies, were readministered at long-term follow-up, along with the Short-Form 36. Long-term changes in HRQOL from before treatment and 2 years were evaluated. Results Forty patients (58%) with a median follow-up of 6.5 years participated, 39 of whom (97.5%) had confirmed human papillomavirus-positive OPC. Long term, no clinically significant worsening was detected in mean HRQOL scores compared with 2 years, with stable or improved HRQOL from before treatment in nearly all domains. "Moderate" or greater severity problems were uncommon, reported by 5% of patients for eating, 5% for swallowing, and 2.5% and 5% by HNQOL and UWQOL summary scores, respectively. Freedom from percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube dependence and stricture dilation beyond 2 years was 97.5% and 95%, respectively. Eleven percent and 14% of patients reported "moderate" or "severe" long-term worsening in HNQOL Pain and Overall Bother domains, respectively, which were associated with mean dose to the cervical esophagus, larynx, and pharyngeal constrictors. Conclusions At more than 6 years' median follow-up, OPC patients treated with swallowing and salivary organ-sparing chemo-IMRT reported stable or improved HRQOL in nearly all domains compared with both before treatment and 2-year follow-up. New late toxicity after 2 years was uncommon. Further emphasis on sparing the swallowing organs may yield additional HRQOL gains for long-term OPC survivors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)925-933
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics
Volume91
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2015
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiation
  • Oncology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Cancer Research

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