Facial appearance after operations for oral and oropharyngeal cancer: a comparison of casenotes and patient-completed questionnaire.

Disfigurement after operations for oral and oropharyngeal cancer is an important issue. Our aim was to review the casenotes of patients who reported distress in the appearance domain of the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale (UWQOL) and to find out what help they were given. Of 278 patients with previously untreated oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated between 1995 and 1999, 114 (41%) were concerned about their appearance.