Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol.  2010 Sep;3(3):153-160.

Treatment Outcomes and Quality of Life in Oropharyngeal Cancer after Surgery-based versus Radiation-based Treatment

• Kim TW
• Youm HY
• Byun H
• Son YI
• Baek CH

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Advances in reconstruction and conservative surgery and the importance of quality of life (QOL) encouraged this reevaluation of surgery-based treatments for oropharyngeal cancer. We tried to compare treatment outcome and QOL after surgery-based versus radiation-based treatment in oropharyngeal cancer.
METHODS
The 133 eligible patients were divided into surgery-based and radiotherapy (RT)-based treatment groups. Medical records were reviewed, and EORTC QLQ-C30 and HN65 questionnaires were completed for survivors. Three-year overall survivals, disease-free survivals, locoregional control rates, and QOL scores were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS
Demographic data and overall stages were not significantly different between the two groups, and all survival rates were non-significantly different, either. The scores for most QOL items were equivalent, however, for a few items, scores were significantly better in surgery-based group.
CONCLUSION
The surgery-based group achieved equivalent treatment outcomes and slightly better QOL scores than the RT-based group. The results of this study suggest that surgery could still be considered as a first-line therapy for oropharyngeal cancer.

Keyword

Treatment outcome; Quality of life; Oropharyngeal cancer; Surgery; Radiation

MeSH Terms

Disease-Free Survival
Humans
Medical Records
Oropharyngeal Neoplasms
Quality of Life
Survival Rate
Survivors
Treatment Outcome
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Overall survival curves in the surgery-based and radiotheraapy (RT)-based treatment groups.

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  Fig. 2 Disease-free survival curves in the surgery-based and radiotherapy (RT)-based treatment groups.

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  Fig. 3 Locoregional control curves in the surgery-based and radiotherapy (RT)-based treatment groups.

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