Objective: To compare the quality of life (QOL) in patients suffering from locally advanced-stage nasopharyngeal cancer before, during and after treatment with carboplatin concurrent with radiation.

Materials and methods: Fifty patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer stage III or IV and who were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), were included in our study. The Thai version of the World Health Organization’s brief quality of life assessment (WHOQOLBREF- THAI), consisting of 26 indicators, was used for self-Assessment before, during and 1 month after completion of treatment. Data were analysed using Mcnema test.

Results: Two-thirds of the patients were male, 44% were stage III and 56% were stage IV in nasopharyngeal cancer, respectively. The association between the physical parameters of QOL before and 1 month after treatment completion was statistically significant (p<0.05), decreasing from 26% to 2% (before-during) then improved to 6% one month after completing treatment. However, the other parameters (mental health, social relationship, environment) did not show a statistically significant difference.

Conclusion: Advanced-stage nasopharyngeal cancer patients, receiving carboplatin during concurrent chemoradiotherapy, exhibited a worsening especially of its physical parameters during treatment, which improved 1 month after treatment completion. The other parameters, however, remained unchanged.