Undesirable financial effects of head and neck cancer radiotherapy during the initial treatment period

Figures & data

Table I. Pretreatment baseline parameters

Patient characteristics	All n (%) N=67 (100%)
Age
Mean (min, max)	60 (21–84)
Gender
Male, n (%)	49 (73.1)
Female, n (%)	18 (26.9)
Marital status
Married/partnered	33 (49.2)
Single	19 (28.4)
Missing information	15 (22.4)
Tumour location
Oral cavity, n (%)	17 (25.4)
Pharynx, n (%)	16 (23.9)
Larynx, n (%)	16 (23.9)
Salivary glands, n (%)	7 (10.4)
Others/unknown, n (%)	11 (16.4)
T-stage (tumour size)
T1, n (%)	21 (31.4)
T2, n (%)	20 (29.9)
T3, n (%)	8 (11.9)
T4, n (%)	8 (11.9)
Tx, n (%)	10 (14.9)
N stage (lymph nodes)
N0, n (%)	28 (41.8)
N1, n (%)	17 (25.4)
N2, n (%)	11 (16.4)
Nx, n (%)	10 (16.4)
IMRT (intensity-modulated radiotherapy)
Yes, n (%)	13 (19.4)
Chemotherapy
Yes, n (%)	24 (35.8)

Table II. Changes in quality of life (EORTC-C30) from baseline to end of treatment in women and men

EORTC QLQ-C30	Baseline mean; SD	End mean; SD	Mean difference; SD	p
Physical men (n)	82.8; 17.2 (48)	68.2; 24.6 (44)	15.9; 20.2 (43)	0.000
Physical women (n)	83.3; 14.0 (16)	63.3; 25.7 (14)	20.6; 21.2 (12)	0.003
p	p = 0.913	p = 0.518	p = 0.491
Role men (n)	73.6; 27.5 (48)	48.3; 34.6 (40)	26.5; 31.7 (39)	0.000
Role women (n)	63.5; 28.0 (16)	28.6; 30.3 (14)	43.1; 20.7 (12)	0.000
p	p = 0.211	p = 0.063	p = 0.096
Emotional men (n)	84.3; 19.1 (48)	74.4; 24.0 (44)	10.1; 27.6 (43)	0.021
Emotional women (n)	71.9; 27.5 (16)	75.6; 23.4 (14)	−1.4; 24.1 (12)	0.538
p	p = 0.050	p = 0.873	p = 0.195
Cognitive men (n)	86.8; 19.4 (48)	74.1; 26.5 (44)	13.4; 23.2 (43)	0.000
Cognitive women (n)	83.3; 21.1 (16)	64.3; 37.5 (14)	20.8; 31.9 (12)	0.026
p	p = 0.547	p = 0.284	p = 0.370
Social men (n)	73.6; 27.3 (48)	62.7; 31.0 (42)	10.6; 20.3 (41)	0.002
Social women (n)	61.5; 32.6 (16)	48.8; 37.2 (14)	20.8; 46.1 (12)	0.221
p	p = 0.147	p = 0.173	p = 0.269
Global health men (n)	67.7; 20.4 (48)	48.3; 25.8 (44)	20.3; 20.3 (43)	0.000
Global health women (n)	60.9; 30.1 (16)	45.2; 24.8 (14)	22.9; 29.5 (12)	0.012
p	p = 0.314	p = 0.001	p = 0.728

Table III. Changes in quality of life (EORTC-C30) from baseline to end of treatment: financial difficulty

EORTC QLQ-C30	Baseline mean; SD	End mean; SD	Mean difference; SD	p
Financial difficulty
Men	18.1; 30.7 (48)	25.0; 32.2 (44)	−6.2; 31.9	0.210
Women	25.0; 33.3 (16)	15.4; 22.0 (13)	6.1; 20.1	0.190
p	p = 0.446	p = 0.319	p = 0.232
Age <65 years	19.4; 30.2 (43)	24.8; 31.3 (39)	−3.7; 24.9	0.520
Age ≥65 years	20.6; 34.1 (21)	18.5; 28.5 (18)	−3.7; 39.4	0.695
p	p = 0.882	p = 0.473	p = 1.000
Single	22.9; 33.8 (16)	33.3; 37.0 (14)	−12.8; 34.8	0.209
Married	22.2; 31.1 (33)	20.7; 27.3 (29)	−1.2; 31.3	1.000
p	p = 0.782	p = 0.213	p = 0.297
Cisplatin and RT	20.8; 36.5 (24)	19.3; 30.1 (19)	−1.9; 38.7	1.000
RT alone	17.2; 27.0 (31)	23.0: 29.7 (29)	−4.9; 22.1	0.255
p	p = 0.674	p = 0.677	p = 0.735

Note that not all patients provided end-of-treatment data.