Quality-of-life issues in head and neck cancer

Assessment of quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer presents many challenges to the clinician, especially because of the profound physical impact of disease on everyday functioning, including eating, breathing, and speech. Various assessment measures are reviewed here, and recommendations for their use under particular circumstances are outlined. General, disease-specific, site-specific, modular (both disease- and site-specific), and treatment-specific instruments are described. Other issues addressed in this review include frequency and duration of assessment, patient versus interviewer administration, and the effect of coping strategies on results.