TY - JOUR
T1 - Screening for distress using the distress thermometer and the University of Washington Quality of Life in post- treatment head and neck cancer survivors.
AU - Ghazali, Naseem
AU - Roe, Brenda
AU - Lowe, Derek
AU - Tandon, Sank
AU - Jones, Terry
AU - Brown, James
AU - Shaw, Richard
AU - Risk, Janet
AU - Rogers, Simon
PY - 2017/2/6
Y1 - 2017/2/6
N2 - The primary aim was to determine the
efficacy
of the Distress Thermometer (DT) in
screening for anxiety
and mood problems against the University
of Washington
Quality of Life, version 4 (UWQOL).
Secondary aims were
to evaluate the association between
demographic, clinical
and health-related QOL variables with
significant distress.
Two hundred and sixty one disease-free
HNC ambulatory
patients attending routine follow-up clinics
were prospectively
recruited. Both DT and UWQOL were
completed
pre-consultation. Receiver operating
characteristic (ROC)
curve analyses of DT score for anxiety
dysfunction yielded
an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.877,
with a sensitivity
of 84% (43/51) and specificity of 76%
(159/210) for a DT
cut-off of ≥4; with a corresponding AUC of
0.825 for mood
with sensitivity 78% (28/36) and
specificity 71% (159/225).
Treatment with radiotherapy and a longer
consultation time
were associated with significant distress
(DT ≥4). Significant
distress was also reported in two third of
those reporting
less than “Good” overall QOL. Distress
levels were
particularly associated with poor Social–
Emotional function,
more so than the association seen with
poor physical
function. DT is a reasonable screening tool
for distress in the HNC population. The DT
cut-off score ≥4 was effective
in identifying those with significant
distress. Significant
distress is associated in survivors with
3 / 6
poor healthrelated
quality of life, those who received
radiotherapy and
patients who have longer consultation
times in clinic.
Keywords Distress · Head and neck cancer
· University
of Washington Quality of Life · Distress
thermometer Screening.
AB - The primary aim was to determine the
efficacy
of the Distress Thermometer (DT) in
screening for anxiety
and mood problems against the University
of Washington
Quality of Life, version 4 (UWQOL).
Secondary aims were
to evaluate the association between
demographic, clinical
and health-related QOL variables with
significant distress.
Two hundred and sixty one disease-free
HNC ambulatory
patients attending routine follow-up clinics
were prospectively
recruited. Both DT and UWQOL were
completed
pre-consultation. Receiver operating
characteristic (ROC)
curve analyses of DT score for anxiety
dysfunction yielded
an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.877,
with a sensitivity
of 84% (43/51) and specificity of 76%
(159/210) for a DT
cut-off of ≥4; with a corresponding AUC of
0.825 for mood
with sensitivity 78% (28/36) and
specificity 71% (159/225).
Treatment with radiotherapy and a longer
consultation time
were associated with significant distress
(DT ≥4). Significant
distress was also reported in two third of
those reporting
less than “Good” overall QOL. Distress
levels were
particularly associated with poor Social–
Emotional function,
more so than the association seen with
poor physical
function. DT is a reasonable screening tool
for distress in the HNC population. The DT
cut-off score ≥4 was effective
in identifying those with significant
distress. Significant
distress is associated in survivors with
3 / 6
poor healthrelated
quality of life, those who received
radiotherapy and
patients who have longer consultation
times in clinic.
Keywords Distress · Head and neck cancer
· University
of Washington Quality of Life · Distress
thermometer Screening.
KW - Distress
KW - Distress thermometer
KW - Head and neck cancer
KW - Screening
KW - University of Washington Quality of Life
U2 - 10.1007/s00405-017-4474-2
DO - 10.1007/s00405-017-4474-2
M3 - Article (journal)
VL - 274
SP - 2253
EP - 2260
JO - European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
JF - European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
SN - 0937-4477
IS - 5
ER -