ArticleScientific reports2025
Effect of symptom clusters on quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Improving Survival Prediction of Head and Neck Cancer Patients by Modeling Long-term Symptom Burden.Proceedings. IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics · 2026Article
- Timing and Reasons for Supportive Care Referral in Head and Neck Cancer: A Prospective Study From India.Cancer medicine · 2026Observational
- Perioperative symptom burden as an independent predictor of long-term functional and survival outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing free flap reconstruction: a retrospective cohort study.American journal of cancer research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) frequently encounter symptom clusters following radiotherapy, which substantially affect their quality of life. This study aims to identify distinct symptom clusters in undergoing radiotherapy HNC patients and examine how self-perceived burden and social support mediate the relationship between symptom clusters and quality of life. A cross-sectional survey of 409 HNC patients (Jun-Dec 2024) was conducted. Symptoms were assessed using the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck, self-perceived burden using the Self-Perceived Burden Scale for Cancer Patients, social support using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, and quality of life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Exploratory factor analysis identified symptom clusters, structural equation modeling (SEM) tested mediation paths. Four distinct symptom clusters were identified in HNC patients undergoing radiation therapy: oropharyngeal, neurosensory, psychological, and gastrointestinal. Symptom clusters negatively predicted social support (β= - 0.449, p < 0.05, explaining 20.2% variance). Symptom clusters and social support jointly predicted self-perceived burden (Symptom clusters:β = 0.490, Social support:β = - 0.131; p < 0.05, explaining 31.6% variance). Symptom clusters, social support, and self-perceived burden collectively predicted quality of life (Symptom clusters:β= - 0.396, Social support:β = 0.150, Self-perceived burden:β= - 0.198; p < 0.05, explaining 37.9% variance). Self-perceived burden significantly mediated the relationship between symptom clusters and quality of life(indirect effect = - 0.041, 95% CI - 0.256 to - 0.007), social support mediation was non-significant, and no chain mediation existed. It was found that symptom clusters in HNC patients receiving radiation therapy have a direct negative impact on their quality of life. These symptoms also indirectly affect quality of life through self-perceived burden mediation. Future interventions should focus on reducing patient's burden and improving Social support. Additionally, exploring the relationship between symptoms, psychological factors, and social factors, and creating a comprehensive care system that addresses symptom management, psychological empowerment, and social support enhancement could help improve patients' quality of life.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.