ArticleJournal of medical radiation sciences2019
A prospective examination of mask anxiety during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer and patient perceptions of management strategies.
Article in Journal of medical radiation sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 2 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
28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.
- PTSD in Patients Who Undergo Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions to reduce procedural anxiety among patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer.Cancer medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of music therapy and relaxation visualization intervention on mask anxiety in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy-a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Maskless head and neck radiotherapy using surface-guided radiation therapy: initial clinical feasibility of real-time setup, intrafraction monitoring, and automatic beam-hold.Journal of applied clinical medical physics · 2026Article
- The Evolving Role of Radiation Therapy Technologists in Head and Neck Cancer: A Narrative Review and Operational Framework.Journal of imaging · 2026Review
- Simulation and optimization of treatment schedule for multi-gantry heavy ion therapy.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Healing Beams: Radiation and Radiotherapy in Novels, Poems, Music, Film, Painting.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2026Review
- Open or closed: Experience of head and neck radiotherapy masks - A mixed-methods study.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2025Article
- How do patients with head and neck cancer and low skeletal muscle mass experience cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy? A qualitative study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024Article
- Patient Education Materials for Immobilisation Masks in Radiation Therapy for Adult Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2024Article
- Article
- A survey of cancer patients' interest in undertaking exercise to promote relaxation during radiotherapy for breast cancer and metastatic cancer.Radiation oncology (London, England) · 2024Article
- Situational anxiety in head and neck cancer: Rates, patterns and clinical management interventions in a regional cancer setting.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2024Article
- Setup and intra-fractional motion measurements using surface scanning in head and neck cancer radiotherapy- A feasibility study.Physics and imaging in radiation oncology · 2024Article
- Unmasking anxiety: a head-to-head comparison of open and closed masks in head and neck cancer radiotherapy.Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology · 2024Article
- The Remove-the-Mask Open-Source head and neck Surface-Guided radiation therapy system.Physics and imaging in radiation oncology · 2024Article
- 'Having the mask on didn't worry me until … they clamped my head down so I wouldn't move': A qualitative study exploring anxiety in patients with head and neck cancer during radiation therapy.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2023Article
- Mask-related anxiety and distress during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2023Article
- A total inverse planning paradigm: Prospective clinical trial evaluating the performance of a novel MR-based 3D-printed head immobilization device.Clinical and translational radiation oncology · 2023Article
- Study on the application of 3D printing head film fixation technology in cranial radiotherapy.Journal of Cancer · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDistress related to wearing an immobilisation mask for radiotherapy treatment (RT) is a common experience for the person undergoing RT for head and neck cancer (HNC). Described as 'mask anxiety', there is little known about the patterns of this distress through the course of the treatment or what strategies are being used by people to help alleviate mask anxiety.
methodsThe study used a prospective cohort design to examine the patterns of patient-reported mask anxiety during the course of RT, using a modified Distress Thermometer (DT) and a survey to explore strategies patients used to assist their mask anxiety.
resultsThirty-five participants, who identified as experiencing mask anxiety, were followed throughout RT treatment. At baseline, females were more likely to experience higher mask anxiety (P = 0.03). Across the course of treatment, mask anxiety significantly (P < 0.001) reduced within the total cohort. In 72% of participants, the level of initial distress was found to reduce over time. Only 22% experienced mask anxiety that remained constant. Few (6%) experienced an increase in mask anxiety across the course of RT. Participants reported relying on intervention from health professionals, self-taught strategies, music, visualisation and medication to manage their mask anxiety.
conclusionsDue to its high prevalence and variable patterns over time, it is recommended that routine screening for mask anxiety be implemented as standard care throughout the course of RT for HNC. Multiple, diverse strategies are being used by patients and studies are needed to develop effective interventions for managing mask anxiety.
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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.