A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures in head and neck cancer surgery

A systematic review of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in child and adolescent burn research

INTRODUCTION

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) can identify important information about patient needs and therapeutic progress. The aim of this review was to identify the PROMs that are being used in child and adolescent burn care and to determine the quality of such scales.

METHODS

Computerised and manual bibliographic searches of Medline, Social Sciences Index, Cinahl, Psychinfo, Psycharticles, AMED, and HAPI, were used to identify English-language articles using English-language PROMs from January 2001 to March 2013. The psychometric quality of the PROMs was assessed.

RESULTS

23 studies met the entry criteria and identified 32 different PROMs (31 generic, 1 burns-specific). Overall, the psychometric quality of the PROMs was low; only two generic scales (the Perceived Stigmatisation Questionnaire and the Social Comfort Scale) and only one burns-specific scale (the Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire for children aged 5-18) had psychometric evidence relevant to this population.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of PROMs did not have psychometric evidence for their use with child or adolescent burn patients. To appropriately identify the needs and treatment progress of child and adolescent burn patients, new burns-specific PROMs need to be developed and validated to reflect issues that are of importance to this population.

Optical imaging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in vivo using arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide conjugated near-infrared quantum dots

Molecular imaging plays a key role in personalized medicine and tumor diagnosis. Quantum dots with near-infrared emission spectra demonstrate excellent tissue penetration and photostability, and have recently emerged as important tools for in vivo tumor imaging. Integrin αvβ3 has been shown to be highly and specifically expressed in endothelial cells of tumor angiogenic vessels in almost all types of tumors, and specifically binds to the peptide containing arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD). In this study, we conjugated RGD with quantum dots with emission wavelength of 800 nm (QD800) to generate QD800-RGD, and used it via intravenous injection as a probe to image tumors in nude mice bearing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Twelve hours after the injection, the mice were still alive and were sacrificed to isolate tumors and ten major organs for ex vivo analysis to localize the probe in these tissues. The results showed that QD800-RGD was specifically targeted to integrin αvβ3 in vitro and in vivo, producing clear tumor fluorescence images after the intravenous injection. The tumor-to-background ratio and size of tumor image were highest within 6 hours of the injection and declined significantly at 9 hours after the injection, but there was still a clearly visible tumor image at 12 hours. The greatest amount of QD800-RGD was found in liver and spleen, followed by tumor and lung, and a weak fluorescence signal was seen in tibia. No detectable signal of QD800-RGD was found in brain, heart, kidney, testis, stomach, or intestine. Our study demonstrated that using integrin αvβ3 as target, it is possible to use intravenously injected QD800-RGD to generate high quality images of HNSCC, and the technique offers great potential in the diagnosis and personalized therapy for HNSCC.

An international phase 3 trial in head and neck cancer: quality of life and symptom results: EORTC 24954 on behalf of the EORTC Head and Neck and the EORTC Radiation Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 24954 phase 3 randomized clinical trial compared 2 schemes of combined chemotherapy for patients with resectable cancers of the hypopharynx and larynx: sequential induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy versus alternating chemoradiotherapy. The current study reports detailed effects of both treatment arms on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 450 patients aged 35 years to 76 years (World Health Organization performance status (WHO PS) ≤ 2) with untreated, resectable advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (tumor classification of T3-T4) or hypopharynx (tumor classification of T2-T3-T4) with regional lymph nodes in the neck classified as N0 to N2 with no metastases were randomized in this prospective phase 3 trial into either the sequential arm (control) or the alternating arm (experimental). QOL assessment was performed at randomization; at baseline; at 42 days; and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months.

RESULTS

There were no observed differences with regard to the primary endpoint of Fatigue and secondary endpoint of Dyspnea. Significant differences were found in the secondary endpoints of Swallowing and Speech problems at 42 days after randomization in favor of patients in the sequential arm. Explanatory and sensitivity analysis revealed that the primary analysis favored the sequential arm, but the majority of differences in HRQOL did not exist at the end of treatment, and returned to baseline levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In the current study, a trend toward worse scores was noted in the patients treated on the alternating chemoradiotherapy arm but very few differences reached the level of statistical significance. The HRQOL scores of the majority of patients returned to baseline after therapy.

Living with the altered self: a qualitative study of life after total laryngectomy

Total laryngectomy (TL), a life-preserving surgery, results in profound physical and communication changes for the individual. Physical and psychosocial adjustment to a TL is complex, and quality-of-life (QoL) measures have provided useful knowledge to assist clinical management. However, many tools were developed without considering the perspectives of people who have experienced TL. To improve understanding of the phenomena of living with TL, a qualitative study was conducted which explored the views and experiences of seven men and five women from a range of ages, geographical locations, and social situations who had undergone a TL. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, journals, and field notes, and analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach and symbolic interactionism. The emergent concept was identifying with the altered self after TL as reflected in dynamic multi-level changes (physical, communication, and psycho-emotional) continuously interacting with intrinsic and extrinsic interpersonal factors including personal and socio-cultural constructs, e.g., age, gender, resilience, beliefs, and supports. This process affected the strategies these individuals used to negotiate their social experiences. The extent to which communication changes disrupted social roles affecting a person's sense of self appeared to relate to long-term adjustment.

Quality of life among breast cancer patients with lymphedema: a systematic review of patient-reported outcome instruments and outcomes

PURPOSE

Lymphedema following breast cancer surgery remains a common and feared treatment complication. Accurate information on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes among patients with lymphedema is critically needed to inform shared medical decision making and evidence-based practice in oncologic breast surgery. Our systematic review aimed to (1) identify studies describing HRQOL outcomes in breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) patients, (2) assess the quality of these studies, and (3) assess the quality and appropriateness of the patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments used.

METHODS

Using the PRISMA statement, we performed a systematic review including studies describing HRQOL outcomes among BCRL patients. Studies were classified by levels of evidence and fulfillment of the Efficace criteria. PRO instruments were assessed using the COSMIN criteria.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine studies met inclusion criteria, including 8 level I and 14 level II studies. Sixteen of 39 studies were compliant with the Efficace criteria. Seventeen HRQOL instruments were used, two specific to lymphedema patients. Exercise and complex decongestive therapy treatment interventions were associated with improved HRQOL.

CONCLUSIONS

High-quality data on HRQOL outcomes is required to inform surgical decisions for breast cancer management and survivors. Of the lymphedema-specific PRO instruments, the Upper Limb Lymphedema 27 (ULL-27) was found to have strong psychometric properties. Future studies should strive to use high-quality condition- specific PRO instruments, follow existing guidelines for HRQOL measurement and to consider economic burdens of BCRL.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

As lymphedema may develop many years after breast cancer surgery, the ULL-27 may offer greater content validity for use in survivorship research.

Measuring health-related quality of life outcomes in head and neck reconstruction

A qualitative study was undertaken to understand the impact of omitted health concepts in existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments for health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) evaluation following head and neck (H&N) cancer reconstruction. Twenty-six patients were interviewed. Patients described a broad range of symptoms. Oral competence, rhinorrhea, facial sensation, smile, vision and eye discharge are missing from existing PRO instruments. Altered appearance was a major stressor; both function and appearance changes had a negative psychosocial impact leading to social isolation and embarrassment. This framework is the foundation for development of a more complete PRO instrument, the FACE-Q Oncology.

Psychological factors associated with head and neck cancer treatment and survivorship: evidence and opportunities for behavioral medicine

Individuals diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) not only face a potentially life-threatening diagnosis but must endure treatment that often results in significant, highly visible disfigurement and disruptions of essential functioning, such as deficits or complications in eating, swallowing, breathing, and speech. Each year, approximately 650,000 new cases are diagnosed, making HNC the 6th most common type of cancer in the world. Despite this, however, HNC remains understudied in behavioral medicine. In this article, the authors review available evidence regarding several important psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with HNC diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, as well as various psychosocial interventions conducted in this patient population, before concluding with opportunities for behavioral medicine research and practice.

Global doctor opinion versus a patient questionnaire for the outcome assessment of treated temporomandibular disorder patients

PURPOSE

Accurately assessing treatment outcomes has become increasingly important for maintaining hospital privileges. When these assessments are based on the judgment of the treating doctor, there is often an inherent positive bias. As a result, there has been increased interest in using patient-based assessments. The purpose of this study was to compare doctor's and patient's assessments of the outcomes of treatment in a series of patients with various temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-two consecutive TMD patients were initially given a questionnaire designed to evaluate their pain, problems eating and sleeping, the occurrence of headache and earache, the presence of temporomandibular joint pain and/or jaw stiffness in the morning, and interference with daily activity. The patients then filled out the same questionnaire at each post-treatment visit, and the findings were compared with the baseline information. At each visit, the treating doctor also recorded a global evaluation of the patient's progress as excellent, good, fair, or poor.

RESULTS

Comparison of the doctor's global evaluation with the patient's evaluation based on the questionnaire showed a discrepancy in 44% of the cases. When there was a discrepancy, the doctor scored the improvement better than the patient 54.5% of the time and worse than the patient 45.5% of the time.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study confirm the unreliability of using a global opinion by the treating doctor for outcome assessment in patients with various TMDs.

A systematic review of head and neck cancer quality of life assessment instruments

Although quality of life (QOL) is an important treatment outcome in head and neck cancer (HNC), cross-study comparisons have been hampered by the heterogeneity of measures used and the fact that reviews of HNC QOL instruments have not been comprehensive to date. We performed a systematic review of the published literature on HNC QOL instruments from 1990 to 2010, categorized, and reviewed the properties of the instruments using international guidelines as reference. Of the 2766 articles retrieved, 710 met the inclusion criteria and used 57 different head and neck-specific instruments to assess QOL. A review of the properties of these utilized measures and identification of areas in need of further research is presented. Given the volume and heterogeneity of QOL measures, there is no gold standard questionnaire. Therefore, when selecting instruments, researchers should consider not only psychometric properties but also research objectives, study design, and the pitfalls and benefits of combining different measures. Although great strides have been made in the assessment of QOL in HNC and researchers now have a plethora of quality instruments to choose from, more work is needed to improve the clinical utility of these measures in order to link QOL research to clinical practice. This review provides a platform for head and neck-specific instrument comparisons, with suggestions of important factors to consider in the systematic selection of QOL instruments, and is a first step towards translation of QOL assessment into the clinical scene.

Access to reliable information about long-term prognosis influences clinical opinion on use of lifesaving intervention

BACKGROUND

Decompressive craniectomy has been traditionally used as a lifesaving rescue treatment in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study assessed whether objective information on long-term prognosis would influence healthcare workers' opinion about using decompressive craniectomy as a lifesaving procedure for patients with severe TBI.

METHOD

A two-part structured interview was used to assess the participants' opinion to perform decompressive craniectomy for three patients who had very severe TBI. Their opinion was assessed before and after knowing the predicted and observed risks of an unfavourable long-term neurological outcome in various scenarios.

RESULTS

Five hundred healthcare workers with a wide variety of clinical backgrounds participated. The participants were significantly more likely to recommend decompressive craniectomy for their patients than for themselves (mean difference in visual analogue scale [VAS] -1.5, 95% confidence interval -1.3 to -1.6), especially when the next of kin of the patients requested intervention. Patients' preferences were more similar to patients who had advance directives. The participants' preferences to perform the procedure for themselves and their patients both significantly reduced after knowing the predicted risks of unfavourable outcomes, and the changes in attitude were consistent across different specialties, amount of experience in caring for similar patients, religious backgrounds, and positions in the specialty of the participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Access to objective information on risk of an unfavourable long-term outcome influenced healthcare workers' decision to recommend decompressive craniectomy, considered as a lifesaving procedure, for patients with very severe TBI.

The problem with health measurement

In this review we discuss health measurement with a focus on psychometric methods and methodology. In particular, we examine some of the key issues currently facing the use of clinician and patient rating scales to measure the health outcomes of disease and treatment. We present three key facts and flag one crucial problem. First, the numbers generated by scales are increasingly used as the measurements of the central dependent variables upon which clinical decisions are frequently made. The rising profile of rating scales has significant implications for scale construction, evaluation, and selection, as well as for interpreting studies. Second, rating scale science is well established. Therefore, it is important to learn the lessons from those who have built and established the science over the last century. Finally, the goal of a rating scale is to measure. As such, over the last half century, developments in rating scale (psychometric) methods have caused a refocus in the way we should be measuring health. In particular, newer methods have significant clinical advantages over traditional approaches. These should be seriously considered for inclusion in everyday practice. This leads us to the central problem with health measurement, which is that we cannot currently be sure what most rating scales are measuring. This is because the methods we have in place to ensure the validity of rating scales fall short of what is actually required. We expand on this point, and provide some potential routes forward to help address this important problem.

Effect of Palliative Drug Therapy on Quality of life in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Advanced cancer patients are managed by palliative care and its main aim is to provide best possible quality of life to the patients by symptom management. Pain is the most agonizing symptom experienced by advanced head and neck cancer patients. Control of pain hence requires more attention by the caregiver in order to improve their quality of life. Recently quality of life issues have emerged as a main focus of cancer treatment as compared to conventional increase in survival rate. This study mainly focuses on the effect of palliative drug therapy on quality of life.

Five-year follow-up of oral functioning and quality of life in patients with oral cancer with implant-retained mandibular overdentures

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and oral functioning of patients with oral cancer up to 5 years after prosthodontic rehabilitation with mandibular implant-retained overdentures.

METHODS

Fifty patients who had received implants during ablative surgery were evaluated by standardized questionnaires before and after oncological and prosthetic treatment.

RESULTS

In 20 of 24 surviving patients, the dentures were functional after 5 years. In these survivors, oral function remained unchanged during this period. In the 6 patients with concurrent comorbidity, global health and QOL had deteriorated, while in the patients without comorbidity, global health and QOL were very high. Five-year survivors had a higher global health and better oral functioning at the 1-year evaluation than nonsurvivors.

CONCLUSION

Oral function and denture satisfaction were high and did not change over time for survivors. Deterioration in overall global health and QOL was associated with concurrent comorbidity.

The influence of nursing in head and neck cancer management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Nurses can play an essential role in the treatment of head and neck cancer and the care of patients and their families. The role and influence of nursing is dependent on available evidence to fulfill that role and on the sociopolitical and organizational factors that shape the context for nursing and interdisciplinary practice.

RECENT FINDINGS

Nurses influence treatment for head and neck cancer through symptom management and tobacco cessation to improve quality of life and patient-reported outcomes. Nurses and interdisciplinary teams in the United States and Europe report successful, novel nurse-led care models that optimize influence on management.

SUMMARY

Current research suggests that nurses can influence head and neck cancer treatment through emphasis on symptom management, tobacco and alcohol cessation, and on patient and family education and care coordination. Nonetheless, evidence for practice remains scant. Only continued research, employing qualitative and quantitative approaches, conducted by nurse and interdisciplinary investigator teams will advance head and neck cancer management and optimize influence of nursing within it. Novel models for nursing care that are well fit into the organizations and society in which care is delivered may further improve care and patient outcomes. Evaluation of such models is further required to document improvements.

A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures after facial cosmetic surgery and/or nonsurgical facial rejuvenation

BACKGROUND

Patient satisfaction and improved quality of life are the predominant considerations determining success in cosmetic surgery. However, few studies have examined patients' perceptions of their appearance following cosmetic facial surgery and/or nonsurgical facial rejuvenation. This study identified patient-reported outcome measures developed and validated for use in patients undergoing surgical and/or nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.

METHODS

A systematic review of the English-language literature was performed. Patient-reported outcome measures designed to assess patient satisfaction and/or quality of life following surgical and/or nonsurgical cosmetic procedures were identified. Qualifying instruments were assessed for content and adherence to international guidelines for development and validation.

RESULTS

From 442 articles, 47 patient-reported outcome measures assessing facial appearance after a cosmetic procedure were identified. Only nine questionnaires satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria. These measures were subdivided into the following categories: rhinoplasty (Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation, Glasgow Benefit Inventory, Facial Appearance Sorting Test), skin rejuvenation (Facial Lines Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, Skin Rejuvenation Outcomes Evaluation, Facial Lines Outcomes Questionnaire), face lift (Facelift Outcomes Evaluation), blepharoplasty (Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation), and general appearance (Derriford Appearance Scale 59). None of these measures satisfied all guidelines. All measures were limited by either their development, their validation, or their content.

CONCLUSIONS

Valid, reliable, and responsive instruments designed to measure patient-reported outcomes following surgical and nonsurgical facial rejuvenation are lacking. A patient-reported outcome measure that represents perceptions of facial cosmetic surgery patients and satisfies accepted health measurement criteria is needed. It would facilitate comparison of techniques and quantification of positive effects, and aid surgeons seeking to quantify outcomes in their own practices.

The science behind quality-of-life measurement: a primer for plastic surgeons

Plastic surgeons perform a wide range of surgical procedures that have diverse clinical goals and complex effects on patients' lives. In recent years, quality-of-life outcomes have become increasingly important to clinical practice and plastic surgery research. It is important, therefore, that plastic surgeons understand the scientific issues surrounding the appropriate development and use of questionnaires that measure quality of life; they may then directly shape how new measures are developed and used, and define the future of outcome measurement in plastic surgery.

Quality of life and outcomes research in head and neck cancer: a review of the state of the discipline and likely future directions

Quality of life (QOL) is by definition a multi-dimensional global construct that has become an increasingly important outcome measure in cancer treatment. The impact of a head and neck cancer (HNC) diagnosis on the person and the consequences of its treatment cross multiple functional domains that have a clear and direct influence on one's post-treatment well-being and associated QOL. The evaluation of QOL and performance outcome in cancer is critical to optimal patient care, comprehensive evaluation of treatment alternatives, and the development of informed rehabilitation and patient education services. Despite the difficulties of going from concept to quantification of patient perceptions, the number of instruments available to measure QOL psychometrically has increased rapidly. Assessments can now be made in a variety of distinctive ways using both specific and generic measures. There is no gold-standard questionnaire and the choice is based on psychometric properties, research objectives and study design. QOL assessment has evolved over the years into an organised scientific discipline, such that useful insights can be obtained by a review of the current literature. However, more work needs to be done to improve the applicability and clinical utility of QOL assessment. Most importantly, QOL studies should be reported in such a way as to provide clinically meaningful data to physicians and surgeons, in order to link research to clinical practice. Further attention should be paid to the development of newer theoretical models, minimalist approaches, development of more sensitive and specific instruments and the effective use of modern technology to achieve this objective.

State of head and neck surgical oncology research--a review and critical appraisal of landmark studies

Surgical literature has been criticized for the lack of high-quality research. The present review examines methodological quality of literature published in head and neck surgical oncology. We focus on landmark studies published on topics of best practice controversy, namely (1) the role of chemotherapy and organ-preservation protocols in the management of head and neck mucosal malignancies; (2) the role of selective neck dissection versus radical neck dissection; and (3) the role of laser microsurgery in the management of larynx cancer. Similar flaws were evident in selected landmark studies with the major issue being multiplicity in the form of multiple outcome analysis, comparison of multiple treatment groups, repeated measures over time, planned interim analyses, and subgroup analyses. The open nonrandomized controlled trial may be a feasible option in head and neck surgical research allowing for standardization, uniformity, consistency, and blinded outcome assessment.

The development of a Patients Concerns Inventory (PCI) to help reveal patients concerns in the head and neck clinic

The purpose of the Patients Concerns Inventory (PCI) is to identify the concerns that patients would like to discuss during their consultation. The PCI covers a range of issues including hearing, intimacy, fatigue, financial/benefits, PEG tube, relationships, regret, support for family, and wound healing. It also lists MDT members that patients would like to see or be referred on to. The PCI is completed using a touch-screen computer (TST) immediately before consultation. Responses are networked into the consultation room. A 28 weeks pilot for one consultant ran from August 2007 with 123 (of maximum 150) patients. The median time to complete the TST was 8min. Patients most frequently selected fear of recurrence (37%), dental health/teeth (27%), chewing (24%), pain in head/neck (20%), fatigue/tiredness (19%), saliva (18%) and swallowing (18%). The two MDT members they wished to see were dentist (19%) and speech/language therapist (10%). The vast majority felt the PCI made a difference (quite a bit/very much) to their consultation as it made it 'a bit more personal', 'reminds them of the points they want discussed', 'allows the consultation to get straight to the point'. Although the PCI can raise many issues it did not noticeably prolong the consultation (median 8min with PCI, 7min without PCI). The Patients Concerns Inventory (PCI) helps focus the consultation onto patient needs and promotes multidisciplinary care. Following this very successful pilot the PCI is being rolled out to other consultants in the H & N clinic.

A systematic review of the use and validation of health-related quality of life instruments in older cancer patients

AIM

The aim of this paper is to systematically review the use and validation of HRQOL instruments in older cancer patients.

METHOD

A systematic review of 5 databases and 3 research registers identified studies reporting the use and validation of HRQOL instruments in cancer patients aged over 65 years from 1995 to mid 2007.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies reported the use of HRQOL measures in older people, using a range of generic and disease-specific instruments. Little work was reported in patients aged over 80 years. All studies exhibited methodological limitations. Fourteen studies were identified with variable evidence on the psychometric properties and clinical usefulness of identified instruments.

CONCLUSION

Our review identified that the development, validation and use of HRQOL instruments often ignore the specific needs of older people. This review highlights the need for a HRQOL instrument specifically designed to capture the issues and concerns most relevant to older cancer patients.

Quality of life in head and neck cancers patients: predictive factors, functional and psychosocial outcome

The principal endpoints in head and neck cancer are survival with improvement of quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients. Patients treated for head and neck cancer suffer from a number of symptom domains: physical symptoms linked to diet and feeding, communication disorders, pain and their general state of health; psychological symptoms including depression, irritability, loss of self-esteem (occasionally feelings of shame), and social symptoms including relationship difficulties with partner (sexual disorders) or with other family members, loss of work, reduction in salary, and sense of uselessness, resulting in a negative impact on their daily life. At present, most tools only partially evaluate patient QoL, concentrating on the global impact of disease and its treatment on patients' physical and psychological condition. The "sociability" of individual patients is rarely evaluated, and the development of qualitative studies in this domain will enable improved understanding of the social factors involved in each patient's adaptability to disease, its treatment and after-effects.