Subjective functional results 1 year after surgery and postoperative radiation for oropharyngeal carcinoma

This study was conducted to find out what factors most influenced functional results and patient satisfaction at 1 year after treatment in a homogeneous group of patients who had undergone surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Further aims were to find out the relation between the overall and specific disease-related results and to compare the two questionnaires used. The study group consisted of 102 patients, 23 women and 79 men, with an age range of 41-77 years (mean 45.7 years). Two questionnaires were used for evaluation. The University of Washington head and neck quality of life questionnaire (UW-QOL) includes information about nine disease-specific domains and three questions on general quality of life. The second questionnaire used was the performance status scale for head and neck cancer patients (PSS), containing information about three disease-specific domains. Functional results were influenced by the size of tumor and by the surgical method used. Results worsened with increasing T stage. The best results were found after pharyngotomy without mandibulotomy, worse results, following temporary mandibulotomy with osteosynthesis, and the poorest results were found in the group of patients who had undergone composite resection. Neither age and sex of the patients nor the course of healing influenced the functional results. All results were significantly correlated to one another. The general parameters were also closely related to specific domains. An important correlation was found between the parameters in the two questionnaires.