Table 3: Frequency and Severity of Oral Health Outcomes on the VHNSS v2.0.

 

 

 

Toxicity

Symptom

No. of patients

≥ 1/10 %

≥ 4/10%a

Nutrition

 

 

 

Losing weight

20

30

15

Lost appetite

20

30

10

Liquid supplement use

20

0

0

Trouble maintaining weight

20

15

15

Swallowing/eating foods

 

 

 

Trouble eating solids

20

80

60

Trouble drinking thin liquids

20

15

10

Foods get stuck in mouth

20

70

45

Food gets stuck in throat

20

80

45

Choke/strangle on liquids

20

40

10

Choke/strange on solids

20

60

30

Cough after swallow

20

65

30

Swallowing takes effort

20

70

30

Eating takes longer

20

70

55

Xerostomia

 

 

 

Xerostomia

20

90

65

Chewing/swallowing difficult

20

75

45

Sleep affected

20

55

25

Talking affected

20

65

30

Mucositis

 

 

 

Sores cause pain

20

15

15

Swallowing difficult

20

40

20

Trouble speaking

20

30

15

Excess mucus

 

 

 

Think mucus/phlegm

20

75

35

Choking/gagging results

20

45

30

Swallowing difficult

20

45

25

Sleep affected

20

40

15

Speech/communication

 

 

 

Trouble speaking

20

65

40

Hoarse voice

20

70

30

Trouble being understood

20

60

35

Hearing

 

 

 

Trouble hearing

20

75

60

Taste change

 

 

 

Taste altered

20

70

45

Decreased desire to eat

20

35

30

Altered food choices

20

55

40

Decreased food eaten

20

40

10

Smell

 

 

 

Sense of smell changed

20

35

20

Altered food choices

20

10

5

Dental health

 

 

 

Difficulty chewing due to teeth/dentures

20

70

45

Teeth sensitive to hot, cold, sweet foods

17

20

15

Teeth feel looser

17

35

20

Teeth cracking/chipping

17

50

25

Trouble with dentures

15

45

30

Mucosal sensitivity

 

 

 

Burning pain in lining of throat/mouth

20

25

10

Sensitive to spicy, hot, or acidic foods

20

80

55

Sensitive to dryness

20

85

55

Changes type of food eaten

20

30

25

Prevents teeth brushing

20

15

5

Range of motion

 

 

 

Limitations in jaw movement

20

40

30

Limitations in shoulder/neck movement

20

45

20

Pain

 

 

 

Average pain level

20

35

15

Worst pain level

20

30

15

Average relief pain medicine

6

10

10

Difficulty sleeping

20

25

10

 

aBoldface highlights responses reported in equal to or greater than 25% of the cohort