Predictive value of health-related quality of life on radiotherapy-related toxicities in patients with head and neck cancer.

Abstract

Little is known about whether baseline health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores also could predict occurrence radiotherapy-related toxicities, which we aim to assess in this study. This study analyzed data from 200 patients enrolled in randomized study investigating the utility of HRQoL. HRQOL was assessed at baseline and during follow up using QLQ-C30 questionnaire and major toxicity was considered as adverse event ≥ 3 according to NCI-CTCAE classification. Cox regressions adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic data were used to assess prognostic significance of HRQOL scores. In multivariable analyses adjusted on clinical and sociodemographic data, every 10-point improvement in physical (HR = 0.74), role (HR = 0.87) and social (HR = 0.88) functioning was associated with 24%, 13% and 12% lower hazard of occurrence of major toxicity respectively while every 10 point-increase in dyspnea (HR = and loss appetite was associated with 15% and 16% increased hazard of major toxicity. Certain baseline HRQoL scores were found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of major toxicity.