Patient Concerns Inventory variations in outcomes between oral and oropharyngeal sites

Head and neck cancer (HANC) patients' health-related quality of life and concerns shape the patient-clinician interaction. Allowing patients to raise concerns that might otherwise be missed affords an opportunity for intervention and signposting to multiprofessional rehabilitation services. The Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI-HN) is a simple, condition-specific tool that promotes holistic, patient-centred consultation. This paper aims to summarise the findings from PCI use in routine clinics in Nottingham and report PCI profiles based on cancer site, surgical treatment, adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), time since surgery, and Speech and language therapy (SALT) frequency of follow up. From October 2020 to March 2022, 102 HANC patients undergoing curative surgery attended follow ups at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham. A total of 242 PCI-HN forms were completed, as some had multiple consultations. The cohort included 38 females and 64 males (aged 31-93). Most had oral cancer (83%), followed by oropharyngeal (12%) and other HANC (5%). The most common concerns were dental health/teeth (26%), chewing/eating (21%), fear of recurrence (21%) and dry mouth (21%). Concern patterns varied, notably, oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients prioritised dental health, free flap (FF) reconstruction patients focused on physical/functional wellbeing, and RT patients cited chewing/eating (36%) versus non-RT patients who feared recurrence (20%). FF and RT patients required more frequent SALT rehabilitation. PCI-HN captured diverse patient concerns, varying by site, surgery type, adjuvant RT, and time since surgery. Findings support targeted, stratified follow-up care.