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| |  Health Status After 1 Year May Predict Long-Term Survival in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer CHICAGO -- September 15, 2008 -- Changes in patients' physical health status during the year after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer appear to predict survival at 5 years, according to a study in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Mark J. Jameson, MD, then of the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, now of the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, and colleagues studied 403 patients (64% male, average age 58.7 y) who were diagnosed with head and neck cancer between 1995 and 2005. Participants completed general physical health assessments when they were diagnosed and again 3, 6, 9, and 12 months later and then were followed up for 5 years. Among all patients, scores on the health assessments decreased between diagnosis and the 3-month point. Those who died during the second or third year exhibited no recovery in their scores, while those who died within the fourth or fifth year exhibited some recovery and those who survived 5 years or longer approached beginning scores again at the 12-month mark. The findings suggest that a self-reported measure of general health "captures prognostic information related to cancer state," the authors wrote. "It seems intuitive that a patient's perception of well-being would fluctuate, and it seems possible that this fluctuation may be predictive of long-term outcome. This study demonstrates that the change in self-reported health status during the first year is predictive of long-term outcome." In light of the findings, a measure of general health and well-being may be a useful addition to the care of patients with head and neck cancer, especially in the first year, they conclude. "It has the benefits of refining prognosis and identifying patient needs that may not be clinically obvious in a brief encounter but may have substantial effect on quality of life," the authors wrote. "Further study is warranted to determine how to best integrate data from patient-reported health assessment into patient care."
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