Supportive care needs among head and neck cancer patients in the recovery phase from 6 months to 2 years after treatment: which factors matter?

D Molenaar; I M Verdonck-de Leeuw; B I Lissenberg-Witte; R P Takes; R de Bree; J A Langendijk; J A Hardillo; F Lamers; C R Leemans; F Jansen

doi:10.1007/s11764-025-01753-0

Supportive care needs among head and neck cancer patients in the recovery phase from 6 months to 2 years after treatment: which factors matter?

J Cancer Surviv. 2025 Feb 10. doi: 10.1007/s11764-025-01753-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

D Molenaar^{1

2}, I M Verdonck-de Leeuw^{1

2

3}, B I Lissenberg-Witte⁴, R P Takes⁵, R de Bree⁶, J A Langendijk⁷, J A Hardillo⁸, F Lamers^{9

10}, C R Leemans^{1

2}, F Jansen^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Center Amsterdam Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences & Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van Der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁸ Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
¹⁰ Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
¹¹ Cancer Center Amsterdam Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. f.jansen1@amsterdamumc.nl.
¹² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. f.jansen1@amsterdamumc.nl.

PMID: 39928280
DOI: 10.1007/s11764-025-01753-0

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate which demographic, personal, clinical, physical, psychological, social, lifestyle, and cancer-related quality of life (QoL) factors are associated with (changes in) supportive care needs (SCNs) from 6 months to 2 years after treatment in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients.

Methods: Data from the prospective NETherlands QUality of life and BIomedical Cohort (NET-QUBIC) study among HNC patients treated with curative intent was used. SCNs were measured using the Supportive Care Needs Survey 34-item Short-Form (SCNS-SF34) (6 months, 1 and 2 years after treatment) and the 11-item HNC-specific module (SCNS-HNC) (2 years). Multivariable linear mixed model analyses and linear regression analyses were used to study factors associated with changes in SCNs over time (SCNS-SF34) and the level of SCNs at 2 years follow-up (SCNS-SF34 and SCNS-HNC).

Results: Data from 483 patients was used. SCNs in the physical and daily living (PDL), psychological (PSY), and health system, information, and patient support (HSIPS) domains decreased significantly over time. At 2 years follow-up, the highest SCNs were reported regarding lack of energy/tiredness (10.8%). Changes in SCNs and the absolute level of SCNs at 2 years were associated with personal and clinical factors and post-treatment (6 months) with psychological, lifestyle, and cancer-related QoL factors.

Conclusions: Personal, clinical, psychological, lifestyle, and cancer-related QoL factors were associated with SCNs. These results can be used to develop predictive models to personalize supportive care for HNC patients.

Implications for cancer survivors: SCNs decrease over time, but a subgroup of patients still presents with SCNs 2 years after treatment.

Keywords: Head and neck cancer; Long-term outcomes; Longitudinal cohort; Supportive care needs; Survivorship care needs.