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First-Year Trends In Self-Reported General Health Predict Survival In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer, Mark Jameson, Lucy Karnell, Alan Christensen

Alan J. Christensen

Objective To demonstrate that first-year trends in a self-reported subjective general health assessment tool can provide prognostic information and help predict long-term survival in patients with head and neck cancer.

Design Prospective observational cohort study.

Setting Tertiary care center.

Patients Four hundred three patients with head and neck cancer who were enrolled in a longitudinal outcomes project between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2005.

Intervention Self-reported general physical health assessments were collected using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey at diagnosis (pretreatment) and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after diagnosis.

Main Outcome Measures Actuarial 5-year …