INTRODUCTION: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly radiosensitive cancer with relatively good prognosis with 5-year survival rate as 67.1% to 81.6%. However, due to the long-term side-effects of radiotherapy (RT), NPC survivors might suffer from physical distress. 

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the current status of dry mouth, pain and sleep disturbance and their relationship in NPC survivors in Taiwan.

METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit NPC patient who had completed concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) or RT more than 3 months in a medical center in Northern Taiwan. The Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Medical Outcome Study-Sleep Scale (MOS-SS), and Background Information Form were used to assess patients’ distress. 

RESULTS: There were 113 patients recruited. The results showed that patients’ sleep hour per day was 7.0 hours (SD=1.7) with major sleep problem as sleep adequacy, snoring, and sleep disturbance. The average total score on XQ was 42.7 (SD=16.2) with the highest problems as frequency of sipping liquids to aid in swallowing food and swallowing difficulty. More than one-fourth of patients (26.5%) reported to have pain. Overall, patients with more severe dry mouth and pain intensity reported to have more sleep disturbance, with r=.30 and r=.27, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Dry mouth, pain and sleep disturbance are three major problems for NPC survivors. Clinically, careful assessment and related interventions should be applied to increase patients’ care quality.

14 / DRY MOUTH, PAIN AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE IN NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA (NPC) SURVIVORS IN TAIWAN