Impact of comorbidity on outcome of young patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background Comorbid conditions have a significant impact on the actuarial survival of patients with head and neck cancer. However, no studies have evaluated the impact of comorbidity on tumor‐ and treatment‐specific outcomes. This study was performed to evaluate the impact of comorbidity, graded by the Kaplan‐Feinstein comorbidity index (KFI) on the incidence and severity of complications, disease‐free interval, and tumor‐specific survival in patients undergoing curative treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods A multi‐institutional, retrospective cohort of 70 patients 45 years of age and under with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) presenting over an 11‐year period was studied. Results Advanced comorbidity (KFI grade 2 or 3) was present in 21 patients (30%). Patients with advanced comorbidity did not differ from patients with low‐level comorbidity (KFI grades 0 or 1) in sex distribution, race, presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, tobacco use, location of primary lesion, stage at presentation, pathologic differentiation of the tumor, or type of initial treatment. The overall incidence of treatment‐associated complications was similar between the groups (57% versus 49%; p > 0.05), but a higher proportion of patients with advanced comorbidity developed high‐grade complications (24% versus 6%; p = .04). The median disease‐free interval (11.1 months versus 21.6 months; p = .045) and tumor‐specific survival (13.7 months versus 57.6 months; p = .03) was poorer for patients with advanced comorbidity. The effects of comorbidity on survival remained significant even after adjusting for the confounding effects of HIV status and tumor stage (p = .05). Conclusions The presence of comorbid conditions has a significant impact on tumor‐ and treatment‐specific outcomes. Although the presence of advanced comorbid conditions is not associated with an increase in the rate of treatment‐associated complications, complications tend to be more severe in this population. More importantly, advanced comorbidity has a detrimental effect on the disease‐free interval and tumor‐specific survival in patients with head and neck cancer, independent of other factors. This suggests that comorbidity may impact on tumor behavior, presumably by altering the host's response to cancer. Accordingly, to be more predictive and reliable, the current staging system for head and neck cancer should include a description of the patient's comorbidity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 20: 1–7, 1998.

Pretreatment probability model for predicting outcome after intraarterial chemoradiation for advanced head and neck carcinoma

“…12 In addition, we found a predictive factor (unilateral vs. bilateral intraarterial infusion of chemotherapy) for LC, which has not been described before.…”

“…The inverse relation between comorbidity and survival already has been established in a number of studies. 12,[37][38][39] These studies demonstrated significant correlations between comorbidity and survival in young 12 patients and in patients with advanced 37 laryngeal carcinoma undergoing radiation therapy. The data from the current study confirm that comorbidity influences OS in patients receiving chemoradiation and that the pretreatment assessment of comorbid conditions is a prerequisite.…”

“…Therefore, the assessment of factors that significantly influence LC and survival is essential. Prognostic factors for outcome include gender, hemoglobin level, 9 -11 comorbidity, 12 and tumor volume. 13 However, to our knowledge, information regarding the prognostic value of these factors in chemoradiation remains scarce.…”

The prognostic role of comorbidity in salivary gland carcinoma

“…These conditions have direct impact on the care of the patient, selection of initial treatment, and evaluation of treatment effectiveness. [1][2][3] It has been demonstrated that comorbidity is an important prognostic factor for overall survival 4 and, in some studies, for locoregional control 5 in patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck area. Comorbidity may influence the choice of treatment, eg, leading to a more conservative approach to prevent possible postoperative complications.…”

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Positive Case with Squamous Cell Larynx Cancer: Difficulties in the Choice of Treatment

“…Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is rarely encountered in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients compared to other HIV-related malignancies such as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (1,2). Laryngeal SCC is observed at a younger age and in a more advanced stage, and it progresses more aggressively (3).…”