Vision Changes After Head and Neck Cancer Treatment.

Abstract

Literature about ocular toxicity after head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment is scarce. This study aimed to describe visual function and ocular symptoms among HNC patients. The study used a cross-sectional design. Two surveys, The National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) and an Ocular Symptom Scale, were sent to participants via e-mail. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample in the vision change and non-vision change groups. Chi-square and t-tests were used to compare groups. Of the 485 HNC patients emailed, 126 responded to the survey (26%). Of those, 114 completed the surveys. The scores of NEI-VFQ were significantly lower in the vision change group than in the non-vision change group (p < 0.001). Similarly, all ocular symptoms were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). These findings and a scarcity of literature suggest that vision screening after HNC treatment is warranted.