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Table 2 Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the association between patient characteristics and overall survival

From: Treatment response lowers tumor symptom burden in recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck cancer

Explanatory factors (TAS cohort, N = 391)

N

Death

HR

95% CI

p-value

Univariate

Age at study inclusion*

≤ 65 years

241

153

1

 

>  65–75 years

107

60

0.68

0.50–0.92

0.0126

>  75 years

43

28

0.94

0.62–1.38

0.7636

Sex*

Male

320

203

1

 

Female

71

38

0.66

0.46–0.92

0.0193

Weight

Per 5 kg

391

241

1.02

0.98–1.07

0.3531

Alcohol consumption

Never

87

61

1

 

Several times per month

85

51

0.9

0.62–1.30

0.5689

Several times per week or daily

101

60

0.82

0.57–1.17

0.2731

Missing

118

69

0.74

0.52–1.04

0.0836

Smoking habits

Never smoked

102

60

1

 

Former smoker

148

94

1.16

0.84–1.61

0.3666

Current smoker

140

86

1.01

0.73–1.41

0.9393

Charlson comorbidity index at study inclusion*

0

188

110

1

 

1

79

57

1.37

0.99–1.87

0.0559

>  1

124

74

1.19

0.88–1.59

0.2545

Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy only

78

43

1

 

Chemotherapy only

309

195

1.17

0.85–1.64

0.3616

Radio-chemotherapy

4

3

1.82

0.44–5.00

0.3187

Duration since initial diagnosis

Per month

391

241

1

1.00–1.00

0.515

ECOG performance status at treatment initiation*

0

65

31

1

 

1

225

145

1.63

1.12–2.45

0.0133

≥ 2

77

53

2.37

1.53–3.73

0.0001

Unknown

24

12

1.5

0.74–2.86

0.2309

Location of primary tumor

Oropharynx

93

56

1

 

Hypopharynx

74

45

1.26

0.84–1.86

0.2546

Larynx

42

26

1.25

0.77–1.96

0.3539

Oral cavity

89

59

1.18

0.82–1.71

0.3671

Other

63

35

1.01

0.66–1.53

0.961

Multiple locations

30

20

1.91

1.12–3.14

0.0134

Disease progression at study inclusion

Local recurrence only

198

125

1

 

Distant metastases

193

116

0.86

0.66–1.10

0.2276

Overall VAS score*

Per 10 points

276

166

1.12

1.05–1.20

0.0009

Multivariatea

Overall VAS score

Per 10 points

276

166

1.12

1.05–1.20

0.0009

  1. TAS Target Analysis Set, HR Hazard Ratio, CI Confidence Interval, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, VAS Visual Analogue Scale. aFinal Cox regression model after backward selection. Within the selection process, all explanatory factors with an effect p-value of < 0.2 in the univariate Cox regression analysis were considered (*). Only factors with p < 0.05 remained in the final model