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Human Papillomavirus-Positive Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Do Not Have Better Quality-of-Life Trajectories
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Human Papillomavirus-Positive Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Do Not Have Better Quality-of-Life Trajectories

Arun Sharma, Eduardo Mendez, Bevan Yueh, Pawadee Lohavanichbutr, John Houck, David R. Doody, Neal D. Futran, Melissa P. Upton, Stephen M. Schwartz and Chu Chen
Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, Vol.146(5), pp.739-745
05/01/2012
DOI: 10.1177/0194599811434707
PMCID: PMC3535430
PMID: 22275190
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3535430View
Open Access

Abstract

Objective. To determine the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) status on quality of life (QOL) in patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Since OSCC that are associated with high-risk HPV have an improved response to treatment and survival, we hypothesized that patients with these tumors would have better QOL trajectories. Study Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Tertiary care academic medical center and 2 affiliated hospitals. Subjects and Methods. Head and neck-specific QOL was determined using the University of Washington Quality of Life scale version 4 in patients with newly diagnosed invasive OSSC (N = 228). Results. Pretreatment QOL was higher in patients with high-risk HPV-associated tumors compared with patients with HPV-negative or low-risk HPV-associated tumors (P = .015). Patients with high-risk HPV-associated tumors had larger decreases in QOL from pretreatment to immediate post-treatment compared with patients with HPV-negative or low-risk HPV-associated tumors (P = .041). There was no association between HPV status and 1-year posttreatment QOL. Conclusion. Among OSCC patients, high-risk HPV-associated tumors were associated with higher pretreatment QOL and a larger decrease in QOL from pretreatment to immediate posttreatment, suggesting that treatment intensity in this unique population may adversely affect QOL.
Life Sciences & Biomedicine Otorhinolaryngology Science & Technology Surgery

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