ArticleThe Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association2022
Health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors: Evaluating the rural disadvantage.
Article in The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Social determinants of health in studies using PROMs to assess toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Models of survivorship care in patients with head and neck cancer in regional, rural, and remote areas: a systematic review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026Pooled it
- Validating cancer-specific and generic quality of life (QoL) instruments among patients with head and neck cancers: incorporating the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck Module with generic QoL instruments.Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS · 2026Article
- Survivorship Needs and Experiences of Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer in Rural Australia: A Qualitative Study.Asia-Pacific journal of clinical oncology · 2025Article
- Long-term quality of life in head and neck cancer: the role of postdiagnosis smoking behavior.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2025Article
- Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of Needs Assessment and Obstacles Faced by Head and Neck Cancer Patients in Central Pennsylvania.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025Article
- Quality of Life before and after Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Patients Measured Using an Updated Head-Neck Specific EORTC QLQ-H&N43 at a Rural Tertiary Cancer Care Center.South Asian journal of cancer · 2025Article
- Quality of Life of Caregivers of Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Correlation of ageing with Health related-quality of life of patients in 13 groups of disease in Poland.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Disparities in Care for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.Surgical oncology clinics of North America · 2024Review
- Demographics and access to head and neck cancer care in rural areas compared to urban areas in Germany.Cancer medicine · 2023Article
- Forecasting Head and Neck Cancer Trends in GCC Countries: Implications for Public Health Policy and Strategy.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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Abstract
purposeHead and neck cancer (HNC) survivors often experience distress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) impairment. Research suggests that rural cancer patients may have poorer outcomes than urban patients. This study examined whether HNC patient emotional and HRQOL outcomes differ in those living in a rural versus urban location at 6 and 12 months postdiagnosis.
methodsA total of 261 HNC patients were included from a longitudinal study of HNC outcomes. The majority were diagnosed with advanced stage cancer (51.3%); the most common cancer site was oral cavity (41.0%). Rurality was measured using the US Department of Agriculture Rural Urban Commuting Area codes. Depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), general HRQOL using the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and HNC-specific HRQOL using the Head and Neck Cancer Inventory (HNCI). Analyses were 2 (group) × 3 (assessment) repeated measures ANCOVAs, controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics.
findingsApproximately 45% of the sample lived in a rural location. Follow-up comparisons of significant overall models indicated that rural patients reported significantly more nonsomatic depression symptoms at 6-month follow-up. Rural patients were also more likely to report significantly poorer general mental HRQOL at 12-month follow-up, significantly poorer HNC-specific HRQOL related to eating at 6- and 12-month follow-up, and marginally worse aesthetics at 12-month follow-up.
conclusionsThese findings are consistent with suggestions that rural HNC patients may be at heightened risk for depression symptoms and decrements in HRQOL. Patients should be screened and regularly monitored for issues with depression and HNC-specific HRQOL throughout the survivorship period.
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