Patterns of self-reported symptom distress among survivors of head and neck cancers.

Abstract

e24073 Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors are known to experience debilitating disease-related symptoms and late effects. Patterns of symptoms among HNC survivors who have transitioned care to survivorship clinics could inform supportive care needs. We sought to assess patterns of self-reported symptoms in HNC survivors and to describe the level to which these symptoms interfered with their function. Methods: Symptoms and their interference were assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Head and Neck (MDASI–HN). This validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument consists of 28 questions grouped into 3 subscales; 1) 13 “core” or general symptoms, 2) 9 symptoms specific to HN and 3) 6 daily life interference items. Symptom severity is measured using a 0 to 10 scale, 0 = not present, 10 = as bad as can be imagined. Patients completed the MDASI-HN during a visit to the HNC Survivorship Clinic. Three databases a) MDASI HN, b) institutional, and c) the HNC survivorship provided data. We defined the primary outcome, symptom distress, as the combination of severity and interference rated ≥5 (0-10). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Results: The sample included 1390 HNC survivors, majority were male (77%), Caucasian (83%) with a median age of 63 years (range 22- 95 years). The median years since diagnosis was five (range 2-37 years). The top disease sites were oropharynx (37%), oral cavity (35%), and larynx/hypopharynx (15%). The table summarizes the patterns of symptom distress. Conclusions: These results highlight the variation in symptom distress reported by long-term HNC survivors. Understanding the clinical implications of these patterns is important to ensure the well-being of those with head and neck cancers. [Table: see text]