Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2024 Jul;281(7):3717-3726. doi: 10.1007/s00405-024-08609-w. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
This study aimed to explore the experiences of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors with postradiation trismus, specifically how oncological treatment affected their lives, rehabilitation, use of coping strategies, and healthcare experiences.
A qualitative descriptive approach was used and semi-structured interviews of 10 HNC survivors with postradiation trismus were conducted 6-30 months after completing oncological treatment. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by qualitative content analysis.
The analysis of interviews yielded four main categories: Bodily symptoms, Effects on life, Support from the healthcare system, and Strategies to handle life and symptoms. Participants reported ongoing problems with xerostomia, dysgeusia, eating, and limited physical fitness. Pain related to trismus was not a major issue in this cohort. Participants expressed limitations in their social lives due to their eating difficulties, yet a sense of thankfulness for life and overall satisfaction with the healthcare they received. Psychological and practical coping strategies developed by the participants were also revealed.
The results highlight areas of unmet need among HNC survivors that healthcare providers can target by establishing multi-professional teams dedicated to individualizing post-cancer rehabilitation care.
本研究旨在探讨头颈部癌症（HNC）放疗后出现张口困难幸存者的体验，特别是癌症治疗如何影响他们的生活、康复、应对策略的使用以及医疗保健体验。
采用定性描述方法，对 10 名 HNC 放疗后出现张口困难幸存者进行了半结构化访谈，访谈在完成肿瘤治疗后 6-30 个月进行。访谈内容逐字转录，并进行定性内容分析。
访谈分析产生了四个主要类别：身体症状、对生活的影响、来自医疗保健系统的支持以及应对生活和症状的策略。参与者报告持续存在口干、味觉障碍、进食和体力活动受限等问题。在本队列中，与张口困难相关的疼痛不是主要问题。由于进食困难，参与者表示他们的社交生活受到限制，但对生活表示感激，并对他们所接受的医疗保健总体上感到满意。参与者还揭示了他们所采用的心理和实际应对策略。
研究结果突出了 HNC 幸存者未满足的需求领域，医疗保健提供者可以通过建立专门针对癌症后康复护理个体化的多专业团队来解决这些需求。
