| Title |
The impact of taste and smell alterations on quality of life in head and neck cancer patients
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Quality of Life Research, November 2015
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s11136-015-1185-2 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
M. Alvarez-Camacho, S. Gonella, S. Ghosh, C. Kubrak, R. A. Scrimger, K. P. Chu, W. V. Wismer |
| Abstract |
Taste and smell alterations (TSAs) are among the most frequent and troublesome symptoms reported by head and neck cancer (HNC) patients after treatment. Little is known about the relationship between TSAs and quality of life (QoL) among HNC patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of TSAs on overall QoL among tube-fed and orally fed HNC patients before treatment, at end of treatment and at 2.5-month follow-up. Data were collected in a longitudinal study prior to treatment (n = 126), at end of treatment (n = 100) and at 2.5-month follow-up (n = 85). Chemosensory Complaint Score (CCS) and the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire version 3 were used to assess TSAs and QoL, respectively. Generalized estimated equation modeling was used to estimate the effect of CCS on QoL. At end of treatment, QoL and CCS had declined for both tube-fed and orally fed patients and thereafter improved, but not to pre-treatment levels. Neither QoL nor CCS mean scores were different between the two groups at any time point. CCS was a significant predictor of overall QoL (β = -1.82, p < 0.0001), social-emotional (β = -1.76, p < 0.0001), physical (β = -1.12, p < 0.0001) and overall functions (β = -1.15, p < 0.0001) at a multivariate level. Taste was reported as an important symptom for both tube-fed and orally fed groups at end of treatment and follow-up. TSAs are an important symptom and an independent predictor of QoL for both tube-fed and orally fed HNC patients. HNC patients need support to manage TSAs, regardless of the method of nutritional intake. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 2 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 2 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 96 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 96 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Bachelor | 15 | 16% |
| Student > Master | 14 | 15% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 8% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 7 | 7% |
| Student > Postgraduate | 5 | 5% |
| Other | 15 | 16% |
| Unknown | 32 | 33% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 23 | 24% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 15 | 16% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 7 | 7% |
| Psychology | 4 | 4% |
| Social Sciences | 2 | 2% |
| Other | 9 | 9% |
| Unknown | 36 | 38% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 22 November 2015.
All research outputs
#17,777,370
of 22,833,393 outputs
Outputs from Quality of Life Research
#1,890
of 2,846 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#262,201
of 386,526 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Quality of Life Research
#30
of 57 outputs
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