Patients with head and neck cancer who experience higher levels of post-treatment pain have a lower chance of survival, a report finds.
In nearly 340 patients with neck and head carcinomas higher levels of post-treatment pain were significantly associated with younger age, worse physical and mental general health and a higher level of depressive symptoms.
Age, tumour site, treatment modality and recurrence within one year were independently associated with disease-specific survival. There was also an association between pain and disease recurrence.
The study authors suggested more should be done to address post-treatment pain within the first year after diagnosis to improve health-related quality of life and recurrent disease in patients.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;135[8]:789-794
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