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Lookup NU author(s): Iakov Bolnykh, Dr Liya Lu, Professor Linda Sharp
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© The Author(s) 2024.Purpose: Reports suggest pain is common in head and neck cancer (HNC). However, past studies are limited by small sample sizes and design and measurement heterogeneity. Using data from the Head and Neck 5000 longitudinal cohort, we investigated pain over a year post-diagnosis. We assessed: temporal trends; compared pain across HNC treatments, stages, sites and by HPV status; and identified subgroups of patients at increased risk of pain. Methods: Sociodemographic and clinical data and patient-reported pain (measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35) were collected at baseline (pre-treatment), 4- and 12- months. Using mixed effects multivariable regression, we investigated time trends and identified associations between (i) clinically-important general pain and (ii) HN-specific pain and clinical, socio-economic, and demographic variables. Results: 2,870 patients were included. At baseline, 40.9% had clinically-important general pain, rising to 47.6% at 4-months and declining to 35.5% at 12-months. HN-specific pain followed a similar pattern (mean score (sd): baseline 26.4 (25.10); 4-months. 28.9 (26.55); 12-months, 17.2 (19.83)). Across time, general and HN-specific pain levels were increased in: younger patients, smokers, and those with depression and comorbidities at baseline, and more advanced, oral cavity and HPV negative cancers. Conclusions: There is high prevalence of general pain in people living with HNC. We identified subgroups more often reporting general and HN-specific pain towards whom interventions could be targeted. Implications for cancer survivors: Greater emphasis should be placed on identifying and treating pain in HNC. Systematic pain screening could help identify those who could benefit from an early pain management plan.
Author(s): Bolnykh I, Patterson JM, Harding S, Watson L-J, Lu L, Hurley K, Thomas SJ, Sharp L
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Year: 2024
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 29/02/2024
Acceptance date: 15/02/2024
Date deposited: 11/03/2024
ISSN (print): 1932-2259
ISSN (electronic): 1932-2267
Publisher: Springer
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01554-x
DOI: 10.1007/s11764-024-01554-x
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