Effect of induction chemotherapy on the quality-of-life in patients with advanced stage tongue cancer by a prospective study

OBJECTIVE: To assess how induction chemotherapy affects the quality-of-life (QoL) in patients with advanced tongue cancer. METHODS: This prospective study included patients who were diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer. Each patient was asked to complete the University of Washington QoL (UW-QoL), version 4, questionnaire preoperatively and at 12 months after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they received induction chemotherapy. RESULTS: Of the 192 patients included in the analysis, 145 patients had received induction chemotherapy. There were no significant differences regarding age, sex, tumour stage, node stage, flap reconstruction, tumour resection range and radiotherapy between the two groups. The mean total hospital cost was significantly higher in patients who underwent induction chemotherapy compared with those who did not (68 000 versus 44 000 Yuan Renminbi, respectively). The two groups had similar pre-treatment and post-treatment composite QoL scores and in the 12 individual domains. CONCLUSION: Induction chemotherapy had a limited effect on postoperative QoL in patients with advanced tongue cancers, but it cost significantly more to administer.