Measuring head and neck cancer symptom burden: The development and validation of the M. D. Anderson symptom inventory, head and neck module

Abstract

The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck (MDASI-HN) is a reliable and valid instrument to measure head and neck cancer symptom burden, and the interference symptoms cause in the major aspects of a patient's daily life. A subset of specifically distressing symptoms was identified, many of which are not included in commonly used head and neck cancer quality of life instruments.

The Association between Malnutrition and Psychological Distress in Patients with Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer

“…Patients with reduced food intake or with more pain reported greater distress. Higher endorsement of psychosocial problems was associated with higher distress scores-a finding that is consistent with those in other studies 36,37 . Swallowing difficulties, low appetite, and mouth sores accompanied by pain were commonly endorsed by the 36% of patients with decreased food intake.…”

Identifying Early Dehydration Risk With Home-Based Sensors During Radiation Treatment: A Feasibility Study on Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

“…Each morning during these time periods, patients took blood pressure and pulse (first sitting, and then standing) and weight readings. They also completed a questionnaire on the smart phone, which included diet and fluid intake, dehydration-related signs (eg, urine color), and symptoms (30). Completion of all patient assessments required about 5-10 minutes per day.…”

Measuring the symptom burden associated with the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

“…Additional symptom items can be appended to the 13 symptom and 6 interference items of the core MDASI to form disease-or treatment-specific modules. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23] The number of additional module-specific symptom items is minimized to keep the module concise and to facilitate repeated measurement.…”