Introduction: Cancer patients’ perception on the treatment they received is vital to determine their adherence to cancer treatment, but important data on how this variable affects posttraumatic growth (PTG) experience by cancer patients is lacking. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the degree of PTG among a cohort of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors who were within first year of diagnosis and determined the association between perception of cancer treatment received (expectation and satisfaction with cancer treatment received and the feeling about the adverse effects) and PTG controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: HNC survivors were recruited from two oncology referral centres, and they were administered socio-demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Malay version of the Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ) (to assess the satisfaction, expectation and feeling about the adverse effects of cancer treatment received) and the Malay version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGi-SF) (to measure the degree of PTG). Results: A total of 200 HNC survivors participated in the study. The mean total PTGI-SF score was 39.5 (standard deviation [SD] = 9.3). Greater degree of positive expectation of cancer treatment and satisfaction with cancer treatment received significantly contributed to higher level of PTG, whereas feeling about side effects of treatment was not associated with PTG, after controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Conclusion: Incorporating psychosocial interventions (such as education on cancer treatment and counselling) into the treatment regimen may facilitate development of PTG and hence, safeguard the mental well-being of HNC patients.

OBJECTIVES: To present a case of cervical vagal schwannoma and describe our experience with the clinical presentation, surgical and outcome of an elderly patient with this pathology.

METHODS:
Design: Case report
Setting: Tertiary Public Hospital
Patient: One

RESULTS: A 65-year-old lady presented with a recently enlarging, pulsatile right sided neck mass that had been asymptomatic for 15 years. Contrast CT revealed a circumscribed non-enhancing heterogenous 4 x 4 x 7 cm mass splaying the right internal jugular vein and common carotid artery. A neurogenic tumour was considered, and the mass was exercised from the vagus nerve with preservation of adjacent structures. Final histopathologic reading was schwannoma. However, the patient succumbed to complications following a second surgery for expanding hematoma.

CONCLUSION:  Schwannomas are benign, slow growing tumours that arise from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. Cervical schwannomas originating from the vagus are rare but should be considered in patients presenting with solitary neck masses. Surgical extirpation is still the treatment of choice for nerve sheath tumours and recurrence is uncommon. Efforts should be made to preserve unaffected structures and patients should be counseled preoperatively on the possible high risk of morbidity especially in the elderly group where close follow up and aggressive rehabilitation should be instituted following surgery.

Human ; Female ; Aortic Bodies ; Neurilemmoma-therapy ; General Surgery ; Neoplasms ; Tomography Scanners, X-ray Computed ; Schwann Cells ; Vagus Nerve