Complication of post radiation in patients with head and neck cancer

Abstract

Background and Objective: Radiotherapy is a main therapeutic regiment in the treatment of head and neck cancers. Radiation not only eradicate cancer but it also cause damage to healthy surrounding tissues, giving rise to objective and subjective problems. This study was done to evaluate the subjective complications of post radiation in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: This descriptive –analytic study was carried out on 45 patients with head and neck cancer (28 males and 17 females) whom were gone under radiotherapy in Rasht, Iran. Subjective complications evaluated before, during, 1 month and 3 months after radiotherapy. Persian version of LENT-SOMA questionnaire was used. Pain, xerostomia, dysphagia, trismus and dysgeusia were recorded for each subject. Results: 80% of subjects experienced Pain. In the study period, pain intensity, frequency and analgesic consumption were belonging to ear and throat. One month after post radiation, pain intensity, frequency and analgesic consumption belong to ear, throat, jaw, mouth and teeth which were significantly more than 3 months after radiotherapy (P<0.05). One month after post treatment, xerostomia, dysphagia, trismus and dysgeusia were significantly more than 3 months after radiotherapy (P<0.05). Pain in ear and jaw had significant correlation with radiation dosage (P<0.05). Conclusion: Intensity of subjective complains were aggravated and merge one month after radiotherapy and can be reduced to nearly the initial stage of treatment, three months after radiotherapy.

Keywords

• Radiotherapy
• Cancer
• Head and Neck
• Pain
• Dysphagia
• Xerostomia
• Dysgeusia