Head and neck cancer patients' preferences for individualized prognostic information: a focus group study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Head and Neck cancer (HNC) is characterized by significant mortality and morbidity. Treatment is often invasive and interferes with vital functions, resulting in a delicate balance between survival benefit and deterioration in quality of life (QoL). Therefore, including prognostic information during patient counseling can be of great importance. The first aim of this study was to explore HNC patients' preferences for receiving prognostic information: both qualitative (general terms like "curable cancer"), and quantitative information (numbers, percentages). The second aim of this study was to explore patients' views on "OncologIQ", a prognostic model developed to estimate overall survival in newly diagnosed HNC patients.

Methods

We conducted a single center qualit

SUBMITTER: Hoesseini A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7203788 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature