Advantages of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tubes in patients with head and neck cancer who receive radiation as part of their treatment
Location
Bobo Room, Hodgin Hall, Third Floor
Start Date
8-11-2017 10:45 AM
End Date
8-11-2017 11:45 AM
Abstract
My research aims specifically to explore if quality of life measures can be used as a prognostic indicator for head and neck cancer patients. As the vast majority of my patient pool are New Mexico veterans, my research has the capacity to directly benefit New Mexicans and the quality of care that they receive for cancer. The veteran population in New Mexico is culturally and ethnically diverse and has given me a well-rounded exposure to the broad scope of patients that one would encounter in New Mexico, and their diverse needs and goals. Radiation of the throat can be particularly detrimental to quality of life due to the fact that it targets a part of our body that is integral to our overall social well-being, and has a broad impact on our needs and goals as people. Imagine not being able to enjoy a meal with your family, because you are too embarrassed about how long it takes you to eat, or how often you will have a coughing fit from choking. Imagine not being able to taste your favorite foods because your tongue and throat have been burned, and you have no taste buds. Imagine having to deal with an extremely dry mouth, and intense pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulder for at least a year after your treatment is done. Quality of life is a tremendous issue for this population, and the literature shows that more and more doctors and hospitals are finding it to have a higher than anticipated impact on patient outcomes. However, to date research has only been done looking at quality of life. But none has been done on what does this actually mean? Can we use this information to better guide treatment and care for our patients? If we can ease the suffering of our most vulnerable patients who are living with cancer and having radiation of the throat and mouth that is worth exploring, and hopefully applying to patient care.
Advantages of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tubes in patients with head and neck cancer who receive radiation as part of their treatment
Bobo Room, Hodgin Hall, Third Floor
My research aims specifically to explore if quality of life measures can be used as a prognostic indicator for head and neck cancer patients. As the vast majority of my patient pool are New Mexico veterans, my research has the capacity to directly benefit New Mexicans and the quality of care that they receive for cancer. The veteran population in New Mexico is culturally and ethnically diverse and has given me a well-rounded exposure to the broad scope of patients that one would encounter in New Mexico, and their diverse needs and goals. Radiation of the throat can be particularly detrimental to quality of life due to the fact that it targets a part of our body that is integral to our overall social well-being, and has a broad impact on our needs and goals as people. Imagine not being able to enjoy a meal with your family, because you are too embarrassed about how long it takes you to eat, or how often you will have a coughing fit from choking. Imagine not being able to taste your favorite foods because your tongue and throat have been burned, and you have no taste buds. Imagine having to deal with an extremely dry mouth, and intense pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulder for at least a year after your treatment is done. Quality of life is a tremendous issue for this population, and the literature shows that more and more doctors and hospitals are finding it to have a higher than anticipated impact on patient outcomes. However, to date research has only been done looking at quality of life. But none has been done on what does this actually mean? Can we use this information to better guide treatment and care for our patients? If we can ease the suffering of our most vulnerable patients who are living with cancer and having radiation of the throat and mouth that is worth exploring, and hopefully applying to patient care.
