A portion of the information contained in this article was presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Washington, DC, April 27–30, 2011.
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Original Article
Influence of pretreatment social support on health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors: Results from a prospective study†‡
Article first published online: 19 JUN 2012
DOI: 10.1002/hed.23029
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Howren, M. B., Christensen, A. J., Hynds Karnell, L., Van Liew, J. R. and Funk, G. F. (2013), Influence of pretreatment social support on health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors: Results from a prospective study. Head Neck, 35: 779–787. doi: 10.1002/hed.23029
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The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 21 MAY 2013
- Article first published online: 19 JUN 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 1 MAR 2012
Funded by
- National Institutes of Health. Grant Number: R01 CA106908
- Office of Cancer Survivorship
- Healthcare Research and Quality Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics. Grant Number: 5U18HSO16094
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- cancer survivorship;
- head and neck cancer;
- health-related quality of life;
- social support
Abstract
Background
Head and neck cancer and its treatment can have considerable impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The present study investigated whether social support, assessed before treatment, predicted HRQOL outcomes up to 12 months later in head and neck cancer survivors.
Methods
Using a prospective longitudinal design, patients (n = 364) were assessed on several clinical and psychosocial characteristics at diagnosis and then at 3- and 12-month follow-up appointments. HRQOL was assessed with the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Head and Neck Cancer Inventory (HNCI).
Results
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that greater perceived support present at diagnosis significantly predicted more favorable global and head and neck cancer-specific HRQOL at 3- and 12-month follow-up.
Conclusion
Results suggest that adequate social support at diagnosis can have a significant, positive impact on HRQOL in head and neck cancer survivors. Thus, it may be useful to evaluate support resources at diagnosis in order to identify individuals at risk for poor HRQOL outcomes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012