Trismus, health-related quality of life, and trismus-related symptoms up to 5 years post-radiotherapy for head and neck cancer treated between 2007 and 2012.

This study highlights that HNC patients suffering from radiotherapy-induced trismus report poorer HRQL and more trismus-specific symptoms compared to patients without trismus. These differences persist and increase up to at least 5 years following treatment completion. Hence, our results highlight that radiotherapy-induced trismus affects long-term HRQL, jaw symptoms, and pain, further stressing the need for early and structured intervention.