Towards effective assessment of the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients in the clinical setting

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the 6th most common cancer worldwide, with 500,000 new cases a year. It is increasing in incidence in the UK (1). HNC affects several structures and sites in the head and neck, including the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, nose, eye and skin. These sites are intimately involved in the essential functions of communication and eating, as well as the senses of smell, taste, vision and hearing. Both HNC and its treatment have significant and often devastating effects on the function, appearance, psychological status, socialisation and individual quality of life of patients. As a result, patients with HNC have specific needs often beyond those of people diagnosed with other cancers (2-4). For example, when speech is affected, patients’ ability to express themselves is impaired and can even be severely compromised. These effects and needs are ongoing, and manifest mostly in the post-treatment phase. For all these reasons, quality of life (QoL) and its assessment are of particular importance in head and neck cancer.

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