Assessment of the relationship between background factors and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy in Imam Khomeini hospital in 2023

Background: Oral complications during and after radiotherapy are common and affect the quality of life.This study was aimed to assess the relationship between underlying factors and oral health related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.Methods: This Descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 85 patients with head and neck cancer referred to the Radiotherapy Center of the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in Tehran.Sampling was done by "available" sampling method from April to June 2023.Demographic information and information related to the disease were checked in a questionnaire.Also, for the oral health related quality of life, a questionnaire including 26 questions was designed based on the complications and symptoms caused by radiotherapy.Results: There was no significant relationship between age, gender, education, history of smoking or alcohol consumption, smoking or alcohol consumption at the time of completing the questionnaires, type of lesion, week of the radiotherapy course in which the questionnaire was completed, area of malignant lesion and the quality of life questionnaire score.(P>0.05)There was a significant relationship between occupation, marital status, underlying diseases and the quality of life questionnaire score.(P>0.05) Conclusion:The results of this article show a general decrease in the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.People with a better job status and married people had a higher quality of life, which could be due to better financial and emotional conditions in these people.People with underlying diseases also reported a higher quality of life, which could be due to getting used to the conditions of the disease and starting radiotherapy with a lower quality of life.These results can help in better implementation of care and in providing necessary support for these people.