Impact of treatment modality on quality of life of head and neck cancer patients: Findings from an academic medical institution

There are approximately 436,000 head and neck cancer survivors in the United States currently [1], with 5-year survival rates reported at 63.2% for oral cavity and pharynx and 60.6% for larynx [2]. Virtually all head and neck cancer (HNC) patients present with one or more oral or dental complications [3], which can be mild and include discomfort and pain, or more serious, with morbidities such as dysphagia, mucositis, xerostomia or osteoradionecrosis [4–6]. Further, these complications impact quality of life (QOL) long after treatment [5].

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