Salivary Glands and Quality of Life

Abstract

A review of quality of life (QOL) concerning the salivary glands may focus on treatment of a salivary gland tumor, or xerostomia as a side effect of radiotherapy. Quality of life studies about treatment of salivary gland tumors mainly focus on facial nerve function after surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy. Prospective longitudinal studies on QOL issues concerning radiotherapy for salivary gland tumors cannot be found in the literature. As an indirect indicator of QOL, treatment resulting in improvement of locoregional control, and risk factors such as comorbidity and treatment-related side effects may be studied. For parotid gland tumors, the main side effects are facial nerve dysfunction, hearing loss, xerostomia, and temporal bone necrosis. Side effects of treatment of the submandibular gland and the minor salivary gland tumors strongly relate to the location of the tumor, and the possible need for elective or curative treatment of the neck nodes. Data about the loss of the function of the salivary glands after radiotherapy, especially the parotid glands, are published increasingly in the literature. Results of objective salivary fl ow measurements, the subjective judgment of the salivary function by the patient, and results of QOL questionnaires may not always correlate. Salivary Glands and Quality of Life 7