Gánh nặng triệu chứng và sự thay đổi chất lượng sống trên bệnh nhân ung thư họng miệng hóa xạ trị đồng thời

Oropharyngeal cancer represents a significant global health challenge, necessitating aggressive multimodal treatments, with concurrent chemoradiotherapy being a standard approach for advanced stages. While these therapies are crucial for curative outcomes, they often impose a substantial symptom burden and profoundly impact patients' quality of life (QoL). Understanding these intricate challenges is paramount for optimizing patient care, improving treatment adherence, and fostering better long-term outcomes. This study therefore sought to evaluate the spectrum of symptoms and the dynamic changes in QoL experienced by patients with oropharyngeal cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy, providing essential insights for clinical practice.

Oncologists, radiation oncologists, and healthcare professionals involved in the multidisciplinary management and supportive care of head and neck cancer patients. Researchers focusing on oncology, symptom management, and quality of life studies would also find this relevant.

This study investigated the symptom burden and quality of life (QoL) changes in 30 oropharyngeal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy at a single institution in Vietnam. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional design with purposive convenience sampling, researchers assessed patients pre-treatment, during therapy, and one month post-treatment using clinical evaluations and established QoL questionnaires (EORTC-C30 and EORTC-H&N35). Key findings revealed that patients experienced significant symptoms during concurrent chemoradiotherapy, including sore throat (100%), oral mucositis (86.6%), dry mouth (76.6%), decreased smell and taste (73.3%), and notable weight loss (10.8%). Most of these symptoms showed only partial improvement one month after treatment completion. Quality of life indicators, such as physical activity, psycho-emotional state, social role, social integration, and general health, significantly deteriorated during treatment but rebounded significantly one month post-treatment. However, certain persistent issues like swallowing disorders, communication ability, social integration, sexual dysfunction, and general feelings of sickness were severely affected during treatment and demonstrated minimal improvement after one month. The study concludes that the symptom burden in the oropharyngeal region is prominent and improves minimally post-treatment, while most other QoL indicators and symptoms generally worsen during treatment before improving significantly one month later. These findings underscore the critical need for comprehensive supportive care and long-term follow-up to mitigate the adverse effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and enhance the overall quality of life for oropharyngeal cancer patients.