1007 - A Randomized Controlled Trial of a New Symptom Management Model Based on PRO (Patient-Reported Outcomes) in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy

Purpose/Objective(s):

Patients with head and neck cancer often experience multiple symptoms such as dysphagia, oral mucositis, pain, and xerostomia during radiotherapy, which significantly affect their quality of life, radiotherapy efficacy, and prognosis. To effectively manage and control these symptoms, this study introduced a new symptom management model based on PRO, aiming to monitor patients' conditions in real time through self-reported symptom information and promptly identify and address abnormal symptoms.

Materials/Methods:

This study is a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial, involving a total of 110 patients with head and neck tumors undergoing radiotherapy, with an age range of 18 to 70 years old. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Patients in the intervention group received a new symptom management model based on PRO, actively reporting symptoms through an electronic PRO system; while the control group received conventional care and symptom monitoring. The primary endpoint of the study was to compare the symptom control during radiotherapy between the two groups, and the secondary endpoint was to analyze the correlation between symptom severity and quality of life.

Results:

There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics such as age, gender, tumor type, stage, and pre-radiotherapy baseline symptom scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). The average scores of major symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth, loss of appetite, oral mucosal reactions, and pain reported by patients in the intervention group during radiotherapy were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). In the intervention group, 32 patients (58.2%) received timely medical intervention when their symptoms reached or exceeded the warning value. These personalized measures effectively alleviated the patients' symptoms and reduced the interruption or delay of radiotherapy. The overall quality of life score of patients in the intervention group at the end of radiotherapy was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01), especially showing more significant improvements in physical function, social function, and mental health. The analysis of secondary research endpoints showed a significant negative correlation between symptom severity and quality of life (r = -0.67, P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that the new symptom management model based on PRO can effectively control symptoms in patients with head and neck tumors undergoing radiotherapy, significantly improving their quality of life. Through real-time monitoring and early warning mechanisms, this model can promptly identify and handle abnormal symptoms, reduce complications, and enhance patient satisfaction.