Head And Neck Cancer Patients May Have Impaired Driving Skills

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Main Category: Ear, Nose and Throat
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 17 Sep 2007 - 13:00 PDT

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Patients with head and neck cancer may have poorer functioning in some driving proficiency compared to healthy individuals, according to a preliminary study published in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (JAMA/Archives), September issue.

The authors explain "Driving is a complex task that requires adequate cognitive, psychomotor and visuoperceptualmotor functions that work together. These functions can be compromised to a greater or lesser extent in patients with cancer in the head and neck region who have received cancer treatment."

Cancer treatment is such that a patient's head and neck mobility may be impede. Cancer treatment might also produce cognitive impairments, pain and psychological distress - exposing the driver to greater risks.

Hon K. Yuen, Ph.D., O.T.R./L., Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and team evaluated the driving skills of ten head and neck cancer patients, whose average age was 56, as well as 50 members of the community, whose average age was 48. They used a virtual reality driving simulator - the scientists monitored their average speed, break reaction times, how much their vehicles offset from the center of the driving lane (steering variability), total collisions and the Simulator Driving Performance Scale. The Simulator Driving Performance Scale assesses the driver's driving behavior and skills.

The study was carried out 26.6 months after most of the patients' surgery and 20 months after cancer therapy.

Here is a comparison between the two groups of people:

Average break reaction time
Cancer patients - 3,134.92 milliseconds
General public group - 2,299.8 milliseconds

Steering Variability
Cancer patients - 271.26 inches
General public group - 46.45 inches

Average Speed
Cancer patients - 21.8 mph
General public group - 25.18mph

There was no significant different between the two groups in average speed, number of collisions and Stimulator Driving Performance Scale scores.

The writer conclude "This pilot study provides preliminary evidence indicating inferior driving performance in a group of patients with cancer in the head and neck region when compared with a community control group."

The researchers added that further research is needed to find out what may be contributing to poorer driving performance among head and neck cancer patients.

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133(9):904-909
http://archotol.ama-assn.org

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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