Co-morbidity and treatment outcomes of elderly pharyngeal cancer patients: A matched control study

• Published in: Oral oncology 2011-12, Vol.47 (12), p.1159-1164
• Main Authors: Peters, Thomas T.A, Langendijk, Johannes A, Plaat, Boudewijn E.C, Wedman, Jan, Roodenburg, Jan L.N, van Dijk, Boukje A.C, Sluiter, Wim J, van der Laan, Bernard F.A.M, Halmos, Gyorgy B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Co-morbidity; Comorbidity; Complication; Disease-Free Survival; Elderly; Female; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Netherlands - epidemiology; Otolaryngology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pharyngeal cancer; Pharyngeal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Pharyngeal Neoplasms - therapy; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Survival; Treatment Outcome; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 1368-8375; 1879-0593
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2011.08.004

Summary Treatment choice in elderly pharyngeal cancer patient is disputed. This study was aimed to asses association of co-morbidity, complications and survival in different treatment modalities of pharyngeal cancer patients. Retrospective analysis of pharyngeal cancer patients, diagnosed between 1997 and 2007 in a tertiary referral hospital was performed. Patients 75 years and older ( n = 42), were matched with two control patients 64 years and younger ( n = 84). Co-morbidity (ACE-27), treatment related complications and survival data were assessed and analyzed. Frequency of co-morbidity was similar in both age groups, although discarding alcohol abuse resulted in higher incidence of co-morbidity in the elderly group. Complication rate was not significantly different. In a multivariate analysis only stage found to be a significant predictor of complications. Survival estimates adjusted to sex, age and birth cohort revealed co-morbidity to be a significant predictor for survival in elderly and young patients. No evidence has been found to treat elderly pharyngeal cancer patients differently than younger ones. Treatment related complications are not predicted by co-morbidities in young and elderly patients; however survival is predicted by comorbidity. Therefore thorough pre-treatment evaluation and care necessary in the elderly population.