Health-related quality of life after oral cancer treatment: 10-year outcomes

Objective. The aim of this study was to report 10-year health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes after treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Study Design. Cross-sectional HRQOL surveys collated over a 13-year period for patients treated from 1992 yielded a cohort of 674 patients with OSCC who had undergone treatment with curative intent. HRQOL closest to 2 and 10 years was measured by using the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) questionnaire. Results. UW-QOL data were available for 67% (154) of 230 patients alive at 10 years. Three-quarters reported their overall quality of life (QOL) as good, very good, or outstanding. Free-flap surgery was the strongest predictor of overall QOL being less than good at 10 years. A significant problem or dysfunction, ranging from 7% to 13% across the 12 UW-QOL domains, was reported by a minority of patients. At the group level, the changes from 2 years to 10 years were minimal, with some improvement observed in appearance, chewing, mood and anxiety, and deterioration in swallowing. There was considerable scatter in individual changes over time. Conclusions. At the group level, HRQOL at 10 years was similar to that at 2 years; however, at the individual-patient level, the domains were not so stable.