Factors Influencing Job Retention and Quality of Life amongst Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) amongst Thai nasopharyngeal cancer patients (NCP) and identify associated factors with QoL. METHODS: This study was based on secondary data from a cross-sectional study that aimed to develop the Thai version of functional assessment of cancer therapy with nasopharyngeal cancer subscale demographic data, clinical information of participants, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy with Nasopharyngeal cancer subscale (FACT-NP) were utilized. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, rank-sum test, variance analysis, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Multiple linear regression with the stepwise model was used to determine multiple variable analysis. Statistical significance was defined at p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty NCP were included in the study with a mean age of 50.3±12.4 years. According to our findings, 68.3% were male, 81.7% were married or living with a partner, and 86.1% were Buddhism had the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status between 0-2 (95.2 %). The employment status, education level, economic status, ECOG, stage , and disease status significantly influenced patients' QoL. Patients who had active treatment and received prophylactic percutaneous gastrostomy  were also impacted by the FACT-NP score. In the multivariate analysis, employment status, ECOG, and disease status were shown to be significant factors that were associated with their QOL in the final model. CONCLUSION: Employment status was a socioeconomic factor that led to positive QOL amongst NCP.

Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Survival Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

This study examined unmet supportive care needs for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients by cancer stage and treatment phase, as well as the factors associated with these unmet needs. At a cancer center in central Taiwan, information on consultations and services patients received at the resource center was described in the service chart. We extracted data available for NPC patients to evaluate their unmet supportive care needs (health information, patient care, treatment, nutritional, psychosocial, and economic) and their association with sex, age, cancer stage, and treatment phase. The 145 NPC patients were 68.3% male, 60.0% less than 50 years old, and 83.5% diagnosed at stages III and IV. The most prevalent unmet need was nutritional (40.7%), followed by psychosocial and patient care, with economic unmet needs the least (4.8%). Women were more likely than men to have patient care unmet needs (32.6% vs. 15.2%). Nutritional unmet need was higher in older patients than in younger ones (83.3% vs. 35.6%), with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 9.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.17-40.70). Psychosocial unmet needs were higher in younger patients than old patients (34.5% vs. 0%) and in patients interviewed during follow-up period than those at newly diagnosed (55.2% vs. 23.1%). In conclusion, the most commonly reported concern was nutritional unmet needs for NPC patients. Their unmet needs may vary by demographic and disease factors, including patient sex and age, cancer stage, and treatment phase.

The Prevalence and Determinants of Return to Work in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Survivors.

PURPOSE: To assess the employment status in working-age survivors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and explore clinical, treatment, and sociodemographic factors that may facilitate or impede successful return to work (RTW). METHODS AND MATERIALS: This Canadian study was part of a larger cross-sectional study assessing late toxicities in 107 disease-free survivors of NPC who received curative-intent intensity modulated radiation therapy ≥4 years earlier. For this substudy, eligible participants were employed at diagnosis and were of working age (<65 years) at study enrollment. Patient-reported work status (modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Work Status Questionnaire), quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck questionnaire), symptom burden (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory for head and neck cancer), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), neurobehavioral functioning (Frontal Systems Behavior Scale), and neurocognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) were assessed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the impact of variables on RTW status. RESULTS: Among 73 eligible patients, the median age was 53 years (range, 32-64) and median time from intensity modulated radiation therapy completion was 7.3 years (range, 4.2-11.1). At enrollment, 45 (62%) were working, of whom 14 (31%) had reduced work hours from diagnosis by a median of 12 h/wk (range, 4-30). Overall, mean work hours decreased from 41.6 to 37.8 h/wk (P = .005). Currently employed (vs unemployed) patients were younger (P = .017) and reported better performance status (P = .013). They had higher quality of life (P = .044), lower symptom burden (P = .03), less significant change from their baseline neurobehavioral function (P = .008), and disability (P = .0025) or private health benefits (P = .035). Anxiety, depression, occupation type, income, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score were not significantly associated with RTW in the univariable analysis. Age, change in baseline neurobehavioral function, and having private health benefits were all independent predictors of RTW. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of long-term survivors of NPC do RTW, although almost one-third report working fewer hours. Prospective research is needed to better understand and facilitate successful RTW in survivors of NPC.

Characteristics of symptom distress in Chinese nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and its relation to mood disturbance: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified Chinese version of the Symptom Distress Scale (SDS), to explore symptom distress and its association with mood disturbance and factors that related to levels of symptom distress and mood disturbance. METHODS: A cross-sectional, correlation design was adopted. A convenience sample of 190 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients was recruited from a Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China, with 169 patients completing the study. RESULTS: The psychometric properties of the modified SDS were satisfactory (Cronbach's α = 0.80) with test-retest reliability (correlation coefficient = 0.71). Education, marital status, disease stage and SDS scores were significant influencing factors of mood disturbance. The overall symptom distress level of NPC patients was higher than that of other cancer groups, with dry mouth being the most distressing symptom. Symptom distress level was influenced by age, marital status, disease stage, treatment modality and number of radiotherapy (RT) sessions. CONCLUSION: More pain and symptom management care should be focused on patients who are older, single or divorced patients, those with late-stage disease, and those subjected to multimodality therapy. Symptom distress was the most significant influencing factor of NPC patients' mood status.

Long-Term Late Toxicity, Quality of Life, and Emotional Distress in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated With Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy.

PURPOSE: To report long-term (>4 years) toxicity and quality of life (QoL) among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in a nonendemic center. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional cohort study enrolled patients with NPC who were disease-free and ≥4 years after IMRT ± chemotherapy. Physician-reported adverse events (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.03) and patient-reported QoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue), utilities (EuroQOL-5D), head and neck symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck), and emotional distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were collected. Consenting patients also underwent endocrine screening and audiometry. RESULTS: Among 107 patients enrolled, median age at enrollment and time since treatment were 57 (32-81) and 7.5 years (4.2-11.1), respectively. Most patients (99%) received 70 Gy in 35 fractions; the majority (93%) received concurrent chemotherapy. Mean scores for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue, and EuroQOL-5D were 105.0 (46-148), 116.6 (44-160), and 0.85 (0.29-1.00), respectively. Dry mouth, mucus, swallowing/chewing, memory, and teeth/gum problems were scored highest on the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck; mean symptom severity and symptom interference scores were 2.3 and 2.4, respectively. Grade 3 or higher physician-reported adverse events were noted in 50 patients (47%), most frequently hearing problems (46, 43%). Audiometry revealed significant bilateral hearing loss (grade ≥3) in 68 patients (72%). Depression (25%), anxiety (37%), and fatigue (28%) were common and strongly correlated with QoL. Most patients (69%) developed hypothyroidism; 1 patient (1%) developed pituitary dysfunction requiring hormone replacement. V50 >90 and V45 >99 to the thyroid correlated with significantly higher rates of hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the implementation of IMRT, survivors of NPC still experience many physical symptoms that affect long-term QoL many years after treatment. Depression, anxiety, and fatigue remain common in long-term survivors and are highly correlated with QoL.

Use of a Smartphone Medical App Improves Complications and Quality of Life in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Who Underwent Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND We explored the intervention effect of a smartphone medical app on complications and quality of life of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS We divided 132 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the first time, in accordance with the random number table method, into a control group (67 patients) and an intervention group (65 patients). Patients in control group were discharged with standard care and patients in the intervention group used a smartphone medical app after discharge. Data on adverse effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, complications, and quality of life were collected and analyzed. RESULTS There was no difference between the complications of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and quality of life between the 2 groups at discharge (P>0.05). The incidence of oral mucositis, xerostomia, mouth-opening difficulties, and nasal congestion in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group at 6 months after discharge and quality of life was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Reasonable use of this smartphone app can improve the exercise compliance of discharged patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, reduce the adverse reactions and complications of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and improve quality of life and satisfaction of patients after discharge.

Network-level dysconnectivity in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) early post-radiotherapy: longitudinal resting state fMRI study.

In this study, we seek to longitudinally investigate the network-level functional connectivity (FC) alternations and its association with irradiation dose and cognition changes in the early stage post radiotherapy (RT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. We performed independent component analysis (ICA) of resting state blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) from 39 newly diagnosed NPC patients before receiving treatment (baseline), and 3 months post-RT. the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and executive control network (ECN) were extracted with well-validated software (GIFT). Inter-network connectivity was assessed using the functional network connectivity (FNC) toolbox. The inter- and intra-network FC was compared between time points, and the z value of FC alternation was correlated with the RT dose value and cognitive changes. Compared with baseline, the FC of the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) within the DMN, and the right insular within the SN, significantly reduced 3 months post-RT, with greater effects at higher doses in the right insular. Bilateral ECN FC was also significantly lower 3 months post-RT compared to the baseline. Chemotherapy was not associated with inter- and intra- network FC change. We found intra- and inter-network FC disruption in NPC patients 3 months post-RT, with the right insular showing a dose-dependent effect. Thus, this network-level FC may serve as a potential biomarker of the RT-induced brain functional impairments, and provide valuable targets for further functional recovery treatment.