Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T12:12:15.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of oral tumour size on quality of life judgements by health care professionals working with head and neck cancer patients: a pilot study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2009

K Reid ,
C Hicks ,
S Herron-Marx  and
S Parmar
K Reid*
Affiliation:
Head and Neck Unit, University Hospital Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust, UK
C Hicks
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
S Herron-Marx
Affiliation:
National Health Service Centre for Involvement, Warwick University, UK
S Parmar
Affiliation:
Head and Neck Unit, University Hospital Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Ms Kate Reid, Head and Neck Unit, University Hospital Birmingham NHSFT, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK. E-mail: kate.reid@uhb.nhs.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Aim:

To investigate whether information about the size of an oral tumour influences the multi-disciplinary team's judgement about the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients.

Method:

Using a between-group design, two groups of health care professionals rated a hypothetical patient on 20 outcome variables. The patient description was identical for both groups, except for the tumour size.

Results:

Comparison of variable ratings revealed only three significant differences between the groups' predictions and no consistency within conditions, suggesting that the participants held few common assumptions about the impact of tumour size on a range of patient experiences.

Conclusion:

The lack of agreement amongst the health care professionals suggests that, where humane judgements are used in treatment decisions for head and neck cancer patients, these may be random and inconsistent. Consequently, patients should have a direct input into treatment decisions, via formalised quality of life data.

Keywords

Head And Neck CancerDecision MakingQuality Of Life
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 123 , Issue 12 , December 2009 , pp. 1352 - 1357
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Ferguson, B, Franks, A, Harrison, S. Health services research. In: Baker, MR, Kirk, S, eds. Research and Development for the NHS Evidence, Evaluation and Effectiveness, 3rd edn.Oxford: Radcliff Medical Press, 2001;119–40Google Scholar
2Downie, RS, Macnauhgton, J. Humane judgement. In: Downie, RS, Macnauhgton, J. Clinical Judgement: Evidence in Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000;1–39CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Norris, CM, Busse, PM, Clark, JR. Evolving role of surgery after induction chemotherapy and primary site radiation in head and neck cancer. Semin Surg Oncol 1993;9:3–13CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Bernier, J, Domenge, C, Ozsahin, M, Matuszewska, K, Lefèbvre, JL, Greiner, RH. Postoperative irradiation with or without concomitant chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med 2004;350:1945–52CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Rogers, SN, Ahad, SA, Murphy, AP. A structured review and theme analysis of papers published on “quality of life” in head and neck cancer: 2000–2005. Oral Oncology 2007;43:843–68CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Brown, B, Crawford, C, Hicks, C. Concepts and theories II: operationalism and its legacy. In: Brown, B, Crawford, C, Hicks, C, eds. Evidence-based Research. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2003;78–108Google Scholar
7Stenson, KM, MacCracken, E, List, M, Haraf, D, Brockstein, B, Weichselbaum, R et al. Swallowing function in patients with head and neck cancer prior to treatment. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;126:371–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Hammerlid, E, Bjordal, K, Ahlner-Elmqvist, M, Boysen, M, Evensen, JF, Bijorklund, A et al. A prospective study of quality of life in head and neck cancer patients. Part 1: at diagnosis. Laryngoscope 2001;111:669–80CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Colangelo, LA, Logemann, JA, Rademaker, AW. Tumour size and pre treatment speech and swallowing in patients with resectable tumours. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;122:653–61CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Funk, GF, Karnell, LH, Smith, RB, Christensen, AJ. Clinical significance of health status assessment measures in head and neck cancer: what do quality-of-life scores mean? Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004;130:825–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Tattersall, MH. Multidisciplinary team meetings: where is the value? Lancet Oncol 2006;7:886–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Asch, SE. Studies in the principles of judgements and attitudes: II determination of judgements by group and ego standards. J Soc Psychol 1940;12:433–65CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Darbyshire, P. When the face doesn't fit. Nursing Times 1986;(September 24)82:28–30Google Scholar
14Aaeronson, NK, Ahmedzai, S, Bergman, B, Bullinger, M, Cull, A, Duez, NJ et al. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality of life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85:365–76CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Bjordal, K, Ahiner-Elmquest, M, Tollesson, E, Jensen, AB, Razavi, D, Maher, EJ et al. Development of a European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire module to be used in quality of life assessments in head and neck cancer patients. EORTC quality of life study group. Acta Oncol 1994;33:879–85CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Bjordal, K, de Graeff, A, Fayers, PM, Hammerlid, E, van Pottlesberghe, C, Curran, D et al. A 12 country field study of the EORTC QLQ C30 (version 3.0) and the head and neck cancer specific module (EORTC QLQ-H&N 35) in head and neck patients. Eur J Cancer 2000;36:1796–807CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Sherman, AC, Simontown, S, Camp-Adams, D, Vuval, E, Owens, B, Hanna, E. Assessing quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. Cross validation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of (EORTC) head and neck module (QLQ-H&N35). Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;126:459–67CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18McCormack, HM, Horne, DJ, Sheather, S. Clinical applications of visual analogue scales: a critical review. Psychol Med 1988;18:1007–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Cohen, J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioural Sciences, 2nd edn.Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum, 1988Google Scholar
20Frost, MH, Sloan, JA. Quality of life measurements: a soft outcome or is it? Am J Manag Care 2002;8:574–9Google ScholarPubMed
21Kanatas, AN, Rogers, SN. National survey of HRQOL questionnaires in head and neck oncology. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2004;86:6–10CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Scharloo, M, Baatenburg de Jong, R, Langeveld Ton, PM, Els van Velzen-Verkaik, RN, Doorn-op den Akker, MM, Kaptein, AA. Quality of life and illness perceptions in patients with recently diagnosed head and neck cancer. Head Neck 2005;27:857–63CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Haward, RA. The Calman-Hine report: a personal retrospective on the UK's first comprehensive policy on cancer services. Lancet Oncol 2006;7:336–46CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Lampic, C, Sjoden, PO. Patient and staff perceptions of cancer patients' psychological concerns and needs. Acta Oncol 2000;39:9–22Google ScholarPubMed