Patient Reported Outcomes in Multidisciplinary Care for High-risk Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2340/actadv.v106.44413Keywords:
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, head and neck, high risk, multidisciplinary, questionnaires, quality of lifeAbstract
Multidisciplinary care pathways may improve quality of care, yet little is known about patients’ perspectives regarding multidisciplinary treatment for high-risk head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This study examined health-related quality of life, decisional conflict, and satisfaction with care in 78 high-risk head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing multidisciplinary care. Pre-treatment, patients completed a baseline questionnaire, the EuroQoL-5D-5L, and the Decisional Conflict Scale. One month post-treatment, they completed the EuroQoL-5D-5L, Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life, and EORTC IN-PATSAT32 satisfaction questionnaires. Mean generic health-related quality of life scores were 0.76 pre-treatment and 0.81 post-treatment (p = 0.077), with minimal impact on disease-specific health-related quality of life (mean Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life scores ranging from 0.46 to 1.05). However, 73.7% of patients expressed worries about prognosis, and 12% of patients reported concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment substantially affecting health-related quality of life. The mean Decisional Conflict Scale total score was 26.61, with 19.2% of patients exceeding the clinically relevant threshold of 37.5, indicating decision delay or uncertainty regarding implementation. Approximately one-third of patients reported a need for better decision-making support. Overall, patients reported high satisfaction with care. In conclusion, while multidisciplinary care had minimal impact on health-related quality of life and resulted in high patient satisfaction, one-third of patients required more comprehensive information and value clarification.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Emmy C. Cruts, Myrthe M.G. Moermans, Patty J. Nelemans, Lieke C.J. van Delft, Eric A. Dik, Satish F.K. Lubeek, Nicole W.J. Kelleners-Smeets, Klara Mosterd
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