PROMs – Predictors for recurrence in head and neck cancer patients? Implementing PROMs in daily clinical routine at a German municipal hospital

Introduction Both head and neck cancers and their treatment options have significant impact on certain body functions, most notably swallowing and speaking, and may thus impair the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of patients considerably. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) facilitate the diagnosis and early treatment of impairments. Moreover, several studies correlate quality of life with overall survival of head and neck cancer patients. However, only pretherapeutic quality of life, a very short follow-up or less known quality of life measures were considered.