Rapid Fire Best of the Best Oral Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Routine collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in people treated curatively for head and neck cancers (HNC) (#92)

Chindhu Shunmuga Sundaram 1 , Haryana Dhillon 1 , Michael Veness 2 3 , Eunji Hwang 3 , Isidoro Ruisi 3 , Puma Sundaresan 2 3
  1. Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-making, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Radiation Oncology Network, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aims: Head and neck cancers (HNC) significantly impact patients' lives, affecting vital functions and appearance. This study aimed to evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) information from patients treated curatively for HNC with definitive or adjuvant radiation therapy (RT), using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as part of standard clinical practice.

 

Methods: The study included adult patients, diagnosed with HNC, and treated with either curative definitive or adjuvant RT, attending follow-ups at The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead or Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre from December 2020 to April 2023. HRQL was assessed using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN35 at multiple timepoints: T1 (0-6 months), T2 (6-12 months), T3 (1-2 years), T4 (2-3 years), T5 (3-5 years), and T6 (>5 years). Changes over time were analysed for 15 participants who completed PROMs at least four times post-treatment. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from electronic medical records.

 

Results: The sample (n=152, mean age=63.7 years, 75% male, 27% diagnosed with Oropharyngeal cancer & 89% definitive RT) showed overall improvement in HRQL over time. General HRQL domains, including physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning, as well as global quality of life, improved by T6 as expected. HNC-specific issues such as pain, swallowing, speech, senses, social eating, social contact, sexuality, mouth opening, dry mouth, sticky saliva, and coughing also showed improvements at T6. The 15 participants with longitudinal data at all time points demonstrated HRQL improvements and reduced HNC-related symptoms over time. Routine PROM collection in this cohort is feasible and ongoing as part of standard clinical practice, and further analyses will be conducted as more data become available.

 

Conclusions: Most HNC-specific HRQL issues and symptoms improved post-treatment. These preliminary findings offer real-world benchmarks and help define post-treatment symptom trajectories. Routine PROMs collection in clinics is feasible and supports ongoing evaluation.