Side Effects of Radiation Therapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer According to the Late Effects of Normal Tissues-Subjective Objective Management and Analytic Questionnaire

Abstract

Objective: The present study explored the oral side effects of radiation in patients with head and neck malignancies. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 60 patients who were candidates for radiation therapy and had head and neck malignancies. After collecting each patient's demographic information, the late effects of normal tissue-subjective objective management and analytic questionnaire were used to verify the diagnostic and treatment data. Results: Sore throat, otalgia, and pain in the jaw and mouth were the most common complaints among patients receiving therapy, whereas toothache was the least common. After one and three months of therapy, 60 and 80 of the patients, respectively, exhibited severe xerostomia. Before beginning therapy, 73.3 of patients did not have any difficulty chewing. Conclusion: Following one month of therapy, these adverse effects reach their maximum rate, and from then until the end of the third month after treatment, they continue to improve until they are near to their pre-treatment levels.