Association between radiation dose to organs at risk and acute patient reported outcome during radiation treatment for head and neck cancers.

Background: Associations between patient-reported outcomes and dose to organs at risk (OARs) may promote management and guide future investigations.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated PROs and OAR dose in head and neck (H&N) cancer.

Results: In 169 patients, we identified weak associations between: "Difficulty swallowing/chewing" and increased mean RT dose to the oral cavity, larynx, pharyngeal constrictor muscles (PCM) and contralateral parotid; "choking/coughing" and larynx mean dose; "problems with mucus in mouth and throat" and oral cavity, contralateral parotid mean dose and parotid V30, contralateral submandibular gland and PCM mean dose; "difficulty with voice/speech" and oral cavity, contralateral parotid, contralateral submandibular gland and larynx mean dose; and "dry mouth" and ipsilateral submandibular gland, oral cavity and PCM mean dose.

Patient reported outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation with weekly versus bolus cisplatin.

Background: Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) data comparing bolus (B-CP) with weekly (W-CP) cisplatin concurrent with radiation are lacking.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study comparing PRO among 99 patients with head and neck radiation, 26% who received concurrent B-CP and 73% treated with W-CP.

Results: W-CP patients had a higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (P = .

Ensuring head and neck oncology patients receive recommended pretreatment dental evaluations.

Purpose: Head and neck (H&N) cancer therapy can have a detrimental effect on oral health by increasing the risk of dry mouth, dental caries, dental infection, and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Pretreatment dental evaluations are recommended for patients with H&N cancer before radiation therapy to minimize the risk of acute and long-term adverse effects. In an earlier effort to educate patients and community dentists about the importance of pretreatment dental evaluations, we created a dental instructional guide (DIG) that outlines the necessary components of the preradiation dental evaluation.