Background:The aim was to collate and contrast patient concerns from a range of different head and neck cancer follow-up clinics around the world.Also, we sought to explore the relationship, if any, between responses to the patient concerns inventory (PCI) and overall quality of life (QOL). Methods: Nineteen units participated with intention of including 100 patients per site as close to a consecutive series as possible in order to minimize selection bias.Results: There were 2136 patients with a median total number of PCI items selected of 5 (2-10). "Fear of the cancer returning" (39%) and "dry mouth" (37%) were most common. Twenty-five percent (524) reported less than good QOL.Conclusion: There was considerable variation between units in the number of items selected and in overall QOL, even after allowing for case-mix variables.There was a strong progressive association between the number of PCI items and QOL. K E Y W O R D Shead and neck cancer, patient concerns inventory, patient prompt list, quality of life

This article presents a review of the medical literature published between 1994 and 2014 with the use of the PubMed database concerning quality-of-life instruments for head and neck cancer patients used to assess general well-being of patients with laryngeal cancer. The PubMed database was searched for articles containing the keywords "quality of life", "laryngeal neoplasm" and "questionnaires". The resulting articles were reviewed and analyzed. After the identification of questionnaires, an additional search was performed. The articles and questionnaires were described and analyzed. In 43 articles, the authors used questionnaires specific to the head and neck regions in order to assess the quality of life in patients with laryngeal cancer. Four different questionnaires were identified. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire is most commonly used to assess the quality of life in patients with laryngeal cancer. Questionnaires are generally used in order to select from a range of different treatment methods. There are a few head and neck cancer-related quality-of-life instruments which are widely used to assess the quality of life in patients with laryngeal cancer, but they are not dedicated to that region of the body. Today, there is much more attention paid to the quality of life; therefore, there is a real need to develop specific scales for different types of cancer.

Background Balanced nutrition is crucial for adolescent’s proper physical and mental development. Dietary habits change significantly with a child’s development. Along with increasing age and the shift towards adolescence, unhealthy diet-related habits become more common. The objective of the survey study was to determine the differences in nutritional habits between children and adolescents according to their age and body mass index (BMI). Methods “Let’s get the kids moving” campaign (pol. “Uruchamiamy dzieciaki”) was launched in 2016. Within the campaign, the survey study was conducted in 2913 participants between 6 and 17 years old from primary and junior high schools in Wroclaw (Poland). The survey was anonymous, and its supplement was voluntary. Participants were divided into age groups. The study group of 2913 consisted of 29.8% of 6–9-year-olds, 32.7% of 10–12-year-olds, and 37.5% of 13–17-year-olds. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and further interpreted as a BMI z-scores depending on children’s age and gender. Results A total of 19.3% of participants consumed 3 meals a day or less. Children from the oldest age group (13–17) consumed statistically significantly fewer meals per day than younger children (p < 0.001). Children from the oldest age group (13–17) consumed breakfast statistically less often than children of age group 10–12 years (75.0% vs. 83.6%; p < 0.001) and children of age group 6–9 years (75.0% vs. 84.0%; p < 0.001). Severely thin children consumed breakfast significantly more often than overweight (85.8% vs. 76.3%; p = 0.004) and children with obesity (85.8% vs. 75.9%; p = 0.021). Children with obesity consumed vegetables significantly less often than severely thin (p < 0.008), thin (p < 0.001), and children with normal body weight (p < 0.007). The oldest children (13–17 years) consumed Coca-Cola and SSB (p < 0.001) and fruit-flavored beverages (p < 0.05) significantly more often than children from other age groups. Boys consumed carbonated beverages with added sugar significantly more often than girls (p < 0.01). Conclusions Unhealthy diet-related behaviors in children and adolescents may promote overweight and obesity and should be targeted in health promotion programs. Special attention should be paid to 13–17-year-olds, as adolescents from this group made more unhealthy choices than younger children.

Introduction: Childhood overweight and obesity have become a global problem in the past three decades. There are very few studies which examine the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and the development of otorhinolaryngological diseases in children. The objective of the study was to determine the association between overweight or obesity in children and the occurrence of otorhinolaryngological diseases. Material and methods: The survey study was based on a parent-reported multidisciplinary questionnaire on children's medical status among elementary and junior high school children in the city of Wrocław, the capital city of Poland's Lower Silesia region. The children were taking part in the prohealth campaign "Let's Get the Kids Moving". Results: The study was conducted among 2,913 children. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the assessment of the children's BMI and the occurrence of adenoid hypertrophy. Adenoid hypertrophy was more common in the overweight and obese children. The children with adenoid hypertrophy had higher BMI than the children without adenoid hypertrophy. There was a statistically significant correlation between BMI and the incidence of adenoidectomy. There was a statistically significant correlation between BMI and the incidence of tonsillectomy. Conclusions: The development and introduction of preventive programs like "Let's Get the Kids Moving" in the future will contribute to building a healthier society. The study findings suggest that primal prevention may lead to a decrease in the development of otorhinolaryngological diseases. Our research indicates that higher body mass correlates with higher prevalence of otorhinolaryngological diseases. Overweight and obesity may be considered as a potential contributor to the development of those conditions. Further studies are needed to establish the etiopathology of this association. Our further future studies will focus on longitudinal assessments of weight, height, BMI and otorhinolaryngological diseases in order to establish trends and changes in overweight and obesity and the development of non-communicable diseases in the pediatric population of Wrocław.

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