Development of an oral assessment tool for chemoradiotherapy-induced adverse events in elderly head and neck cancer patients.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11066
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Asahikawa Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Nonaka Masato 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30835286)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 服部 ユカリ 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 名誉教授 (00272899) ; 熊井 琢美 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00596306) ; 牧野 志津 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30814503)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 頭頸部癌 / 化学放射線療法 / 高齢者 / 口腔内評価ツール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim was to develop a prototype oral assessment tool (hereafter referred to as 'prototype') to assess oral adverse events in elderly head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. It was shown that the following items, which are not included in the existing Eilers Oral Assessment Guide, are useful in the assessment of oral adverse events: dysphagia, taste disorder, olfactory disorder, pain and oral infection. In particular, taste and olfactory disorders were not related to the items in the Eilers Oral Assessment Guide, suggesting that they should be observed. A usability study of the prototype also showed that the protocol has three potential uses: as a tool suitable for assessing adverse events, as an educational tool to learn the assessment perspective, and as a tool to enable observation with the patient.

Free Research Field

高齢者看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義:化学放射線療法を受ける高齢頭頸部癌患者の口腔内における副作用の経過や重症度は、十分に解明されていない。本研究結果により、高齢がん患者は治療による味覚障害や嗅覚障害が示され、観察項目としての有用性や開口障害とEOAGの声、口唇、舌等との関連を明らかに出来たことは、頭頸部がん看護へ寄与し、がん看護学を発展させる一助になる。
社会的意義:オーラルフレイルの状態にある高齢者への化学放射線療法は、口腔内有害事象を増悪させるリスク要因であるため、看護師がプロトタイプで高齢患者の口腔内有害事象を見逃すことなく観察することができることにより、治療中後の症状緩和などに貢献できる可能性がある