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Supportive Care in Cancer

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01-03-2017 | Original Article

The “rocky treatment course”: identifying a high-risk subgroup of head and neck cancer patients for supportive interventions

Authors: Horia Vulpe, Janet Ellis, Shao Hui Huang, Eshetu G. Atenafu, Raymond W. Jang, Gary Rodin, Jolie Ringash

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 3/2017

Abstract

Purpose

We aim to identify the risk factors for a “rocky” treatment course (RTC) in head and neck cancer.

Methods

A retrospective case–control study was conducted utilizing data from a prospective study. We defined the RTC as a composite of adverse outcomes including G-tube dependence and increased nursing interventions. Statistically associative variables were included in a multivariable logistic regression. We also evaluated whether the RTC, or its components, associated with worse cancer outcomes.

Results

Being single, unemployed, having N2/3 disease and receiving chemoradiotherapy were associated with a RTC. In turn, G-tube dependence was associated with worse 3-year OS (73 vs 91 %; p = 0.02) and increased nursing interventions with worse 3-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (85 vs 92 %; p = 0.03) and locoregional recurrence (LRR) (14 vs 7 %; p = 0.03).

Conclusions

We identified baseline factors associated with a RTC for head and neck cancer patients. Future supportive care interventions could be evaluated using the RTC as a marker of benefit.

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Title: The “rocky treatment course”: identifying a high-risk subgroup of head and neck cancer patients for supportive interventions
Authors: Horia Vulpe
Janet Ellis
Shao Hui Huang
Eshetu G. Atenafu
Raymond W. Jang
Gary Rodin
Jolie Ringash
Publication date: 01-03-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 3/2017
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3450-5

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Abstract

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