Impacto de las técnicas microquirúrgicas en la calidad de vida de pacientes con cáncer de cavidad oral y orofaringe

Abstract

Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer is the seventh most frequent oncological disease in Spain. The main goals of treatment are to eradicate the disease, minimizing morbidity and preserving or restoring function and form, and preventing the appearance of recurrences or new primaries. Head and neck surgical oncology can be very mutilating, affecting essential anatomical structures, hence, reconstructive surgery aims to preserve or restore function and achieve acceptable aesthetic results. Microsurgical reconstruction is considered a reference technique of choice for large defects, attempting to restore anatomy and function. Historically, the evaluation of cancer treatments has focused on biomedical parameters, such as tumor response, disease-free interval, and survival; but since the 90s it has been expanded to assess the impact of the disease and the treatments on the Quality of Life (QoL). Head and neck cancer, both disease and treatment have animpact on functional and anatomical aspects that affect the QoL of the patient...