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HNC Patients (hnc + patient)
Selected AbstractsLimited Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Israeli Head and Neck Cancer PatientsTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 8 2005FACS, Yoav P. Talmi MD Abstract Hypothesis/Objective: The use of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) is growing among cancer patients. A Medline search failed to reveal any dedicated report of CAM use specifically in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Study Design: Use of CAM was evaluated in a cohort of treated HNC patients. Methods: Patients treated for HNC were asked if they had used CAM since their diagnosis. Demographic data and data pertaining to mode of CAM, duration of treatment and effects were obtained. Results: One hundred forty-three patients (mean age 61 years) were included. Only nine patients (6.3%) reported using disease related CAM. This included acupuncture (4), Reiki (2), naturopathy (2), hypnosis (1), shiatsu (1), chiropractic treatment (1), homeopathy (1), and selenium (1). Conclusion: Contrary to the reported use, few of our HNC patients used CAM. Although this could be related to good caregiver-patient relationship, further studies in comparable populations are warranted to evaluate if this is a local or a pervading finding in head and neck cancer patients. [source] Elective gastrostomy, nutritional status and quality of life in advanced head and neck cancer patients receiving chemoradiotherapyANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 10 2009Randall P. Morton Abstract Background:, Chemoradiotherapy for treatment of advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) is used to achieve organ preservation without compromising survival. Because chemoradiotherapy usually impacts adversely on nutritional and functional status, feeding by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is often part of the management regimen for these patients, but the presence of a PEG tube can also be associated with reduced quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to examine the factors associated with PEG insertion and the effects of PEG use on QOL and functional outcomes in HNC patients receiving chemoradiotherapy. Method:, Survey of 36 consecutive patients treated by primary chemoradiotherapy for HNC. Patient weight, age, tumour type, details of PEG insertion, feeding regimens and treatment were noted. The survey comprised the Performance Status Scale, the Functional Measure for Swallowing, Nutritional Mode and a self-assessment of QOL. Results:, PEG insertion within 1 month of treatment was associated with smaller fall in body mass index at 12 months than PEG insertion 1 month or more after the start of the treatment (P < 0.05). Body mass index change was inversely correlated with health-related quality of life and significantly related to lower speech and swallowing function scores. Longer PEG duration correlated with poorer performance status and swallowing function (P < 0.01). Longer PEG duration also predicted poorer overall QOL (P < 0.01) and poorer swallowing (P < 0.01) and speech (P < 0.05). Nutritional mode was related to overall QOL (P < 0.01). Conclusions:, Nutritional support for HNC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy is an essential component of patient care. Early PEG insertion and shorter PEG duration are associated with more favourable QOL-related outcomes. [source] Oral mucositis in patients undergoing radiation treatment for head and neck carcinomaCANCER, Issue 2 2006Risk factors, clinical consequences Abstract BACKGROUND The current study was conducted to characterize the risks and clinical consequences of oral mucositis (OM) in patients with head and neck carcinoma (HNC) who are receiving radiation therapy. METHODS Data regarding 450 HNC patients who had received radiation therapy were collected via chart review from 154 U.S. medical and radiation oncologists. Information obtained included patient characteristics, treatments received, highest recorded grade of OM during radiation therapy (none, mild, moderate, or severe), and outcomes potentially associated with mucosal injury. RESULTS The mean age (± standard deviation [SD]) of the study subjects was 61.3 years (12.3 yrs); the majority of patients (80%) were men. Primary tumor locations included the oropharynx (26.4%), larynx (26.4%), oral cavity including the lip (24.4%), hypopharynx (13.6%), and nasopharynx (9.1%). The majority of tumors were new and were classified as AJCC Stages III or IV. The majority of patients (83%) received standard radiation therapy; the mean (± SD) cumulative dose was 6285 centigrays (cGy) (± 1158 cGy). Approximately 33% of the patients received concomitant chemotherapy. The majority of patients (83%) developed OM; 29% developed severe OM. Patients with severe OM were more likely to have nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal tumors (adjusted odds ratio [OR] of 10.1 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.1,49.9] and 6.9 [95% CI, 2.4,19.7], respectively), and to have received cumulative radiation doses > 5000 cGy (OR of 10.4; 95% CI, 2.9,37.1) and concomitant chemotherapy (OR of 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4,8.0). Patients with OM had more unplanned breaks in radiation therapy (OR of 3.8; 95% CI, 1.7,8.5) and hospital admissions (OR of 3.5; 95% CI, 1.3,9.5). CONCLUSIONS HNC patients with nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal tumors, and those who receive cumulative radiation doses > 5000 cGy or concomitant chemotherapy, are more likely to develop OM. Patients with OM are at a higher risk of unplanned breaks in radiation therapy and hospitalization. Cancer 2006. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source] Focal uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose by thyroid in patients with nonthyroidal head and neck cancersCLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Soon Yuhl Nam Summary Objective, To evaluate the prevalence and significance of focal thyroid lesions identified by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with nonthyroidal head and neck cancers (HNC). Patients and measurements, Patients with histologically identified HNC who underwent FDG-PET and computed tomography (CT) were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the prevalence of patients with focal thyroid FDG uptake and the risk of malignancy and proper management in these patients. Results, Of 689 HNC patients, 19 (2·8%) had focal thyroid FDG uptake. Of the 12 patients with a histological diagnosis by surgery or needle biopsy, 5 (41·7%) had carcinomas, 4 papillary and 1 follicular, whereas the others had benign thyroid lesions. The maximum standardized uptake value on PET was not sufficient to discriminate between malignant and benign thyroid lesions (8·4 ± 13·2 vs. 4·2 ± 4·0; P > 0·4). The identification of incidental thyroid diseases helped guide patient counselling and combined surgery with HNC and thyroidectomy. Conclusion, Focal thyroid lesions incidentally found on FDG-PET in patents with nonthyroidal HNC have a high probability of malignancy. These lesions deserve further diagnostic examination before HNC treatment to ensure adequate therapy for incidental thyroid cancers. [source] | ||||||||||