Table 1 Patients’ characteristics
Background | n (%) |
|---|---|
Age | |
  < 65 years | 149 (49) |
  ≥ 65 years | 156 (51) |
Gender | |
 Male | 266 (87) |
 Female | 39 (13) |
ECOG performance status | |
 0 | 181 (59) |
 1 | 109 (36) |
 2 | 12 (4) |
 3 | 3 (1) |
Body mass index | |
  < 18.5 | 46 (15) |
 18.5–25 | 199 (65) |
  ≥ 25 | 60 (20) |
Primary site | |
 Larynx | 45 (15) |
 Nasopharynx | 38 (12) |
 Hypopharynx | 112 (37) |
 Nasal sinus | 17 (6) |
 Oropharynx | 79 (26) |
 Oral cavity | 14 (5) |
T-classification | |
 1 | 28 (9) |
 2 | 110 (36) |
 3 | 66 (66) |
 4 | 101 (33) |
N-classification | |
 0 | 63 (21) |
 1 | 39 (13) |
 2a | 3 (1) |
 2b | 126 (41) |
 2c | 60 (20) |
 3 | 14 (5) |
Tumor histology | |
 SCC | 287 (94) |
 Others | 18 (6) |
Smoking status | |
 Never | 36 (12) |
 Past | 200 (66) |
 Current | 69 (23) |
Habitual alcoholic consumption | |
 Yes | 121 (40) |
 No | 184 (60) |
Distance from the hospital | |
  < 10 km | 92 (30) |
  ≥ 10 km | 213 (70) |
Family members in the same household | |
 Yes | 258 (85) |
 No | 47 (15) |
Use of ACEi or ARB | |
 ARB | 53 (17) |
 ACEi | 2 (1) |
 No | 250 (82) |
Use of PPI or H2 blocker | |
 Yes | 163 (53) |
 No | 142 (47) |
Oral hygiene before treatment | |
 Good | 100 (33) |
 Poor | 193 (63) |
 Unknown | 12 (4) |
Coexistence of other malignancies | |
 Yes | 36 (12) |
 No | 269 (88) |
Comorbidity index | |
 0 | 233 (76) |
  ≥ 1 | 72 (24) |
Serum albumin before treatment | |
 Within normal limits | 259 (85) |
 Less than normal range | 46 (15) |
Hemoglobin before treatment | |
 Within normal limits | 212 (70) |
 Less than normal range | 93 (30) |
Use of sleeping pills at the end of treatment | |
 Yes | 210 (69) |
 No | 95 (31) |
Main feeding at the end of treatment | |
 Oral | 127 (42) |
 Non-oral | 178 (58) |
Presence of gastrostomy during the treatment | |
 Yes | 173 (57) |
 No | 132 (43) |
Induction chemotherapy | |
 Yes | 76 (25) |
 No | 229 (75) |
Concurrent chemotherapy regimen | |
 CDDP-based | 235 (77) |
 CBDCA-based | 42 (14) |
 Cetuximab | 28 (9) |
Radiation technique | |
 Conventional 3D-CRT | 241 (79) |
 IMRT | 64 (21) |
Irradiation field | |
 Primary lesion alone | 40 (13) |
 Hemi neck | 19 (6) |
 Whole neck | 246 (81) |
Treatment efficacy | |
 CR | 199 (65) |
 Non-CR | 106 (35) |
Body weight loss after treatment | |
  < 10% | 178 (58) |
  ≥ 10% | 127 (42) |
Serum albumin decreasing post-treatment | |
  < 20% | 114 (37) |
  ≥ 20% | 191 (63) |
Hemoglobin decreasing post-treatment | |
  < 30% | 138 (45) |
  ≥ 30% | 167 (55) |
The worst mucositis grade during treatment | |
 0 | 3 (1) |
 1 | 16 (5) |
 2 | 102 (33) |
 3 | 182 (60) |
 4 | 2 (1) |
The worst dysphagia grade during treatment | |
 0 | 12 (4) |
 1 | 84 (28) |
 2 | 76 (25) |
 3 | 133 (44) |
 4 | 0 |
Resection of primary lesion post-CRT or -BRT | |
 Yes | 30 (10) |
 No | 275 (90) |
Neck dissection post-CRT or -BRT | |
 Radical neck dissection | 0 |
 Modified radical neck dissection | 1 (1) |
 Selective neck dissection | 44 (14) |