A systematic review of questionnaires to measure the impact of appearance on quality of life for head and neck cancer patients

Abstract

Background: Facial disfigurement is often experienced by head and neck cancer (HNC) patients following surgery and has a significant impact on their quality of life (QOL). The aim of the current review is to assess patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures for use in HNC patients, appraise the psychometric properties of QOL instruments that include an appearance domain and determine which instrument/s might be the most appropriate for use in HNC patients in clinical practice and research. Method: A systematic search of the English-language literature was performed using the Medline and PsycINFO electronic databases. PRO measures designed to assess QOL and the impact of disfigurement on QOL wer..