Loneliness and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients

 

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are at risk of loneliness because of the effects of the disease and its treatment on important social interactive functions such as appearance, speech, facial expression, and eating. Dahill and colleagues from Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool, UK, evaluated the association between loneliness and the quality of life, mental illness, physical health, and premature mortality.

The investigators survived 140 patients treated for primary squamous cell HNC between 2015 and 2016. Tumor sites were oropharyngeal (42%), oral (35%), laryngeal (14%), and elsewhere (9%).

In response to the question "How often do you feel lonely?" three-quarters said "hardly ever" and only 6% "often". Similar responses were obtained for the other three indicator questions. It is encouraging that a relatively small proportion had serious issues with loneliness. Similarly, one-quarter had feelings of loneliness and a minority had serious problems. Patients who were younger, who lived in more deprived circumstances, who had advanced disease and had been treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy reported greater levels of loneliness.

The study showed that loneliness was associated with a worse overall quality of life, and worse physical and social-emotional function. Dahill and colleagues recommended that lonely patients need to be identified as early as possible so that support and interventions can be implemented and outcomes improved. 

Information about support and interventions to help individuals with HNC click this link.