Sowairi, SMS; (2006) Education and quality of life in oral and pharyngeal cancer patients. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The psychosocial intervention in cancer patient management has been shown to reduce anxiety effectively, but no assessment has been made of the effect on health related quality of life (HRQOL). The aims of this project were to examine head and neck cancer patient's level of information and assess anxiety level and HRQOL in an attempt to recommend the educational psychosocial support needed for oral and pharyngeal cancer patients. The first part of this research audits the patients' information support (as part of the psychosocial support) and preferred format for additional information material. A locally developed questionnaire was applied to three groups of oral disease patients the multidisciplinary team approach was significantly better in informing oral and pharyngeal cancer patients. The survey also confirmed the patients' preference for written format information materials and the low preference for the computer technology as a source for health information. The second part of the study aimed to assess oral and pharyngeal cancer patients' anxiety level and HRQOL. The results showed that patients have levels of HRQOL comparable to those previously reported in similar studies, although patients had higher level of anxiety. The third section correlates the anxiety scores from the HADS to HRQOL scores the HADS-Anxiety scores were significantly correlated to the SF-36 scores at the preoperative stage and to the EORTC H&N35 scores at the postoperative stages. Predictability equations were formulated for the HRQOL domains scores using the HADS score. The final section was a semi-structured interview with 30 head and neck cancer patients and their families. This was a cross sectional study with the aim of examining the relationship between information, educational level, anxiety and HRQOL. In conclusion, oral cancer patients required more sophisticated gating of information about disease management. There was a significant correlation between anxiety scores with HRQOL scores however the high anxiety scores suggested that patients' education should include methods of anxiety control. Patients' perception of good psychosocial support can improve their HRQOL.

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