Relief Obtained For Pain, Dry Mouth Linked With Head And Neck Cancer

For the study, the researchers surveyed 457 people at three otolaryngology clinics who had been recently diagnosed with head and neck cancer. They responded to questions about their physical and emotional quality of life—including pain, sleep health, eating, and respiratory problems. They were then surveyed again one year after diagnosis.

Among those surveyed, sleep quality was found not to change very much from the time of diagnosis to one year after treatment. However, quality of sleep at both time points was worse than typical sleep scores for the average person.

The researchers said that the relatively minor change in sleep quality one year after diagnosis may be due to symptoms and side effects from treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Results of the study currently appear in the online version of the journal The Laryngoscope.