Health-Related quality of life (HRQoL) and health state utility values (HSUV) in patients with head and neck Cancer: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.
Head and neck cancer patients show moderately reduced quality-of-life utility scores overall.
Health-Related quality of life (HRQoL) and health state utility values (HSUV) in patients with head and neck Cancer: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.
Head and neck cancer (head and neck cancer) and its treatment can substantially impair speech, swallowing, eating, appearance, and social functioning, resulting in persistent reductions in health-related quality of life (health-related quality of life).
This study aimed to summarize EQ-5D-based health-related quality of life and health state utility values in head and neck cancer, estimate pooled utility and EQ-VAS scores, explore subgroup differences, and identify predictors of poorer health-related quality of life.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261307907).
The pooled mean EQ-VAS score was 69.36 (95 % CI: 65.71-73.01; τ 2 = 38.4586; 95 % prediction intervals: 55.11-83.61).
Extreme heterogeneity was observed (I 2 = 96.4 % and 97.1 %, respectively).
By tumor subsite, nasopharyngeal cancer showed the highest utility value (0.85, exploratory), whereas oral cancer demonstrated the lowest (0.73).
Patients with head and neck cancer experience substantial and persistent health-related quality of life impairment, with meaningful variations driven by tumor subsites and instrument versions.
In light of the extreme heterogeneity, these pooled findings establish a macro-level, broad reference estimate rather than a fixed target.
These parameters directly inform localized survivorship care planning, health technology evaluations, and cost-utility decision-making modeling in head and neck oncology.