Health related quality of life in head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy: A systematic review

HRQoL declines after treatment but recovers to baseline levels, generally within 12 months. However, xerostomia-related HRQoL deficits may remain long-term. Combined chemoradiotherapy showed a trend toward worse HRQoL compared with RT alone. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) yields better HRQoL compared with conventional or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Baseline HRQoL may independently predict local-regional control and overall survival. Future research should incorporate HRQoL into phase III trials. However, adequate effort and journal space must be afforded to the HRQoL results of these studies to ensure proper reporting methods are followed, allowing clinicians to incorporate HRQoL into patient counseling and clinical decision making.