SynthesisJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale
Quality of Life After Head and Neck Cancer Surgery and Free Flap Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Delivering prehabilitation in cancer surgery: a service evaluation at Nottingham University Hospitals.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Observational
- Clinical outcomes of fibular and scapular free osseous flaps in head and neck reconstruction: a retrospective comparative study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Healthcare Practitioners' Perceptions of Quality-of-Life Tools in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology: A Qualitative Descriptive Content Analysis.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2026Article
- Recovery Phenotypes After Head-and-Neck Reconstructive Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Comparing Free-Flap and Pedicled-Flap Pathways.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Comparison of surgical and non surgical treatment strategies for non metastatic oropharyngeal cancer using inverse probability weighting.Discover oncology · 2025Article
- Mediating effects of sense of coherence and psychological resilience on stigma and quality of life among postoperative middle-aged and older patients with malignant gynecological tumors: a cross-sectional, structural equation model.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Organ-Preserving Complete Response to Sequential Induction Chemoimmunotherapy and Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Floor of the Mouth: A Case Report.Clinical case reports · 2025Article
- Musculoskeletal Impairments and Dysfunction in Individuals with Head and Neck Cancer Following Surgery with Neck Dissection-A Systematic Review.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Impact of cervical osteoarthritis on quality of life after free flap reconstruction in head and neck cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Article
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3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDifferent factors can affect the quality of life of patients treated for head and neck cancer undergoing major surgical intervention. However, it remains unclear which specific factors and what possible interventions could have the greatest influence on quality of life postoperatively for patients undergoing surgical resection with free flap reconstruction. The objective of our systematic review was to identify which factors, at the time of surgical treatment, are associated with a worse postoperative quality of life for patients undergoing surgical resection with free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer.
methodsWe performed a systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), from their inception through November 2021. We included peer reviewed studies that evaluated the impact of specific factors on quality of life for adult patients who underwent surgery with free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer. Two reviewers independently screened citations for eligibility and extracted data. Risk of bias of each study was evaluated using the New-Castle Ottawa Scale. Vote counting and qualitative review were used to synthesize results. All relevant findings were reported.
resultsWe initially identified 1971 articles. We included 22 articles in our systematic review, totaling 1398 patients. There was a high level of variability for factors evaluated throughout studies and many studies presented small sample sizes. However, some factors were associated with worse long-term quality of life, including older age, radiotherapy, higher tumor stage, dysphagia, anxiety as well as depressive symptoms. Very few articles analyzed their data for specific tumor subsites and the impact of psychosocial factors was rarely evaluated throughout studies.
conclusionsFor patients with head and neck cancer requiring free flap reconstruction, some specific factors may correlate with changes in quality of life. However, these findings are based on very few and mostly underpowered studies. A better understanding of factors affecting quality of life could allow a more personalized and overall better quality of care for patients.
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