Quality of life in long-term oral cancer survivors: an 8-year prospective study in China

Objectives. The purpose of the prospective study was to evaluate the long-term changes in quality of life (QOL) in patients with oral cancer and to examine the potential factors that predicted QOL at 8 years after treatment. Study Design. Seventy-one patients were evaluated by the University of Washington quality of life scale. QOL in 30 long-term survivors was assessed at diagnosis and at the 3-month, 1-year, and 8-year follow-up. Results. QOL was found to be better among survivors compared with nonsurvivors at the 1-year follow-up. Levels of pain, mood, and anxiety showed clinically and statistically significant improvements between diagnosis and at 8 years following treatment, whereas problems with chewing, speech, shoulder mobility, and taste worsened during this interval (P < .05). From 1 to 8 years, patients reported clinically significant improvements with regard to appearance, recreation, speech, saliva, and anxiety. Among the 11 sociodemographic, disease-, or treatment-related factors, age and tumor site were associated with long-term QOL. Conclusions. Although the QOL among patients with oral cancer was generally favorable in the long term, the changed patterns in different domains over time should be noted. Improved QOL between the 1-year and the 8-year follow-up demonstrated the dynamics of QOL after 1 year and justified ongoing follow-up beyond the 1-year observation point.National Natural Science Foundation of China [81300901]; Tianjin Natural Science Foundation [14 JCQNJC12500]; Tianjin Public Health Bureau Fund [2012 KY18]SCI(E)ARTICLE167-7512