ArticleOral oncology2014
Psychological distress in patients and caregivers over the course of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
Article in Oral oncology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.
- Caregiver burden, anxiety, and quality-of-life among informal caregivers of patient with head and neck cancer: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Cancer patient distress and health service use is linked with carer distress: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Global prevalence and risk factors of suicidality among head and neck cancer patients-systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- PTSD in Patients Who Undergo Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Pooled it
- Psychological Factors Related to Treatment Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer.Advances in therapy · 2024Pooled it
- Psychosocial Distress of Head Neck Cancer (HNC) Patients Receiving Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A randomized controlled trial of a distress screening, consultation, and targeted referral system for family caregivers in oncologic care.Psycho-oncology · 2024Trial
- Couple-based communication intervention for head and neck cancer: a randomized pilot trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021Trial
- Empowering caregivers in the radiotherapy process: the results of a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Changes in postoperative symptom communities and network structure in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: A four-time-point study.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2026Article
- Between Ideal and Actual Care: Patients' and Family Carers' Experiences of Cancer Care Relationships.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026Article
- Nurse Coaching in Oncology Care to Reduce Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- The silent companion.Palliative & supportive care · 2026Article
- Caregiver health literacy in head and neck cancer and its relationship with caregiver and patient psychological distress.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Management of Informal Caregiver Burden in a Case of Primary Cerebral Ewing's Sarcoma: A Case Report.International medical case reports journal · 2026Article
- Article
- Stress, Employment Changes, and Psychological Distress Among Caregivers of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2025Observational
- Psycho-oncology/Supportive Care in Head-Neck Cancers Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.South Asian journal of cancer · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesHead and neck cancer patients and their caregivers report high rates of psychological distress. High rates of physical symptom burden and the increased need for family members to provide caregiving during treatment may contribute to this distress.
methodsThis study examined trajectories of patient and caregiver distress over the course of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer as well as how patients and caregivers influence each other's distress. Forty-nine head and neck cancer patient-caregiver dyads completed 6 weekly assessments of physical symptoms (MDASI-HN) and distress (e.g., NCCN distress thermometer) over the course of radiotherapy.
resultsPatient and caregiver distress increased steadily over the course of treatment, peaking at week 5; patients (82% male; 69% Stage 4) and caregivers (90% female) reported significant distress in 77% of cases. Linear mixed models with the patient-caregiver dyad as the unit of analysis showed that increases in patient-rated head and neck specific physical symptoms had a significant (p<.05) time-varying effect on both patient and caregiver distress. Increases in one dyad member's distress levels were also significantly associated with decreases in the other's distress levels over time.
conclusionFindings highlight the adverse impact of patient physical symptoms during radiotherapy on both patient and caregiver distress. They also support a dyadic coping model whereby patients and caregivers manage their distress together as a unit. Overall, dyadic supportive care interventions that focus on controlling patient physical symptoms and that address both patient and caregiver distress are sorely needed in head and neck cancer.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.