Quality of life, anxiety and depression in head and neck cancer patients: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate an educational program based on the principles of self-management with a conventional educational program through quality of life, anxiety and depression instruments within 12 months of starting cancer treatment. METHOD An experimental, randomized, controlled study conducted with head and neck cancer patients treated at a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group submitted to the conventional educational plan, and the experimental group submitted to the educational plan for self-management. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for the analyzes using the t-test, Fischer’s exact test and Repeated Measures ANOVA. RESULTS Twenty (20) patients were selected. Most participants were male, in advanced stages of disease and undergoing three therapeutic modalities. The control group showed a gradual decrease in quality of life scores during treatment, while the experimental group progressively increased. The correlation was significant between the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms and poor quality of life. Patients in the control group had a significant worsening in social/family well-being (P = 0.02) and the prevalence of additional head and neck cancer-related additional concerns (P = 0.01), while the experimental group had reduced anxiety symptoms (P = 0.001) and improved emotional well-being (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION The educational intervention based on building self-management skills favored quality of life and reduced anxiety and depression. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (RBR 2q53ct).

Association between hospital anxiety and depression scale and problem‐related distress in patients with cancer in a Brazilian private institution

“…Previous studies have noted that emotional distress (anxiety and depression) tends to lessen over time for many patients in United States, Europe (e.g., London, Sweden and Netherland) and also in Brazil 6,7,14–16,21–24 . However, despite the fact that the current study noted a similar trend in Brazil, by the end of the chemotherapy treatment, there were still a great number of patients experiencing moderate to severe distress.…”

“…This evidence has led to the development of standards of care advocated by national organizations, such as the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 13 . However, this evidence base has primarily emerged from distress at the time of diagnosis based on patients from high‐income countries (e.g., United States and Canada), with some studies documenting distress throughout the course of treatment in other countries 14–17 . It is important to highlight the challenges faced in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs); for years there has been an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with cancer, along with mortality rates of certain cancers.…”

The Experiences of Oral Cancer Patients: A Narrative Review

“…Issues with employment are significantly associated with poor quality of life among patients as reflected by high levels of anxiety and social avoidance 95 . Clearly, there is a need for health care providers to comprehend and explore the expressions of depression, anxiety and building self-management skills in oral cancer patients in order to provide better quality of life 96,97 .…”

Predictive Factors of Crucial Nutrition Impact Symptom Clusters in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy

“…Anxiety and depression are also prevalent problems in cancer patients. The study conducted by Hortense et al indicated that anxiety and depression also had correlations with participants' QoL [37]. The RTspeci c symptom cluster and gastrointestinal symptom cluster were crucial clusters for managing HNC patients with RT, so healthcare professionals should focus limited medical resources on these NISs to improve patients' nutritional status and QoL.…”