A systematic review of social impacts of treatment and rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients

Abstract

The objective was to examine the social impacts of treatment and rehabilitation on patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Following a comprehensive search of OVID (Embase, Medline, Pubmed, PsycINFO) and Web of Science, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the methodological quality of all included studies. The findings were reported using Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. From 14,661 papers identified, 46 were eligible for inclusion of which 25 were quantitative, 14 qualitative and 7 mixed methods. Most papers focussed on the theme of eating and swallowing impacts (n = 16), with the next most frequent group using general quality-of-life measures (n = 11). Methodological inadequacy concerned small sample sizes and relatively short follow-up times. Qualitative studies revealed a wide range of social impacts which affect patients relating to the cancer, therapeutic education, and the negative impact of treatment side effects over time. The literature suggests that HNC patients experience a range of social impacts linked to identity, relationships, activities undertaken, and cultural issues. This review concludes that more in-depth larger scale prospective research as well as qualitative research is urgently needed to ascertain how to optimize care for HNC patients.