Quality of Life (QOL)

This section is devoted to Quality of Life as it applies to head and neck cancer. Here at Aintree, we have developed an international reputation for the study of QOL in head and neck cancer. This work is led by Simon Rogers. We thank all the patients over the years who have kindly completed and returned questionnaires.

Click here to find out more about our quality of life questionnaires.

What is Health Related QOL?

Most people have an idea as to what quality of life is, and yet definitions of the term vary even between those researching the field. It is a very broad concept describing a persons overall feeling of wellbeing and includes a wide range of both physical and psychological concepts. It has been defined as 'the perceived discrepancy between the reality of what one has and what one wants, or expects or has had.' This definition of quality of life is often termed the 'gap theory.' Health related quality of life is a subset of quality of life, which revolves around four core domains; physical functioning, psychological functioning, social interaction and disease and treatment related symptoms.

HRQOL Trends

Most patients report a good, very good or outstanding QOL. Unfortunately this is not always the case and great care has to supporting the patient and their carers.