Pain, Weight Loss, and Quality of Life in a Supportive Care Trial for Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

This study supports the hypothesis that response to pain medication is associated with change in weight during and shortly after completion of RT. Pain levels were significantly correlated with QoL, particularly the ability to enjoy life and eat food at both 1- and 3-months post-RT. Ongoing research is needed to better elucidate the relation between pain control and patient outcomes, and to develop new interventions to promote QoL among patients with HNC.