Head and neck cancer, quality of life, and determinant factors: a novel approach using decision tree analysis

The impact of COVID-19 on oral squamous cell carcinoma's diagnostic stage-A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on patients' access to primary care services. A timely diagnosis of oral squamosa cell carcinoma is paramount. This study aims to quantify the pandemic's effect on tumor volume at the time of initial diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a retrospective study, all primarily diagnosed cancer patients between March 2018 and March 2022 were compiled; the TNM stage and the tumor volume were evaluated. Tumor volumes were calculated using pathology or radiology reports.

RESULTS

In total, 162 newly diagnosed tumor cases were included in this study. Of these, 76 (46.9%) cases were allocated in the "pre-COVID-19" group and 86 (53.1%) in the "COVID-19" group. Patients diagnosed during the "COVID-19" period showed a significantly advanced T stage (p < 0.001) and larger mean tumor volumes (53.16 ± 73.55 cm3 vs. 39.89 ± 102.42 cm3 ; p = 0.002) when compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Tumor volume and T stage were significantly advanced in the "COVID-19" group when compared to prepandemic data. We hypothesize that the postponement of routine dental check-ups may explain this finding. Hence, dentists and primary care providers are encouraged to place particular emphasis on screening during routine check-ups.

Factors associated with quality of life among patients with a newly diagnosed oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer

PURPOSE

The objectives of this report were 1) to examine the quality of life (QOL) of patients with a newly diagnosed oral cavity or oropharyngeal (OCOP) cancer; and 2) to examine factors contributing to QOL before cancer treatment.

METHODS

The sample included 115 participants with a new diagnosis of OCOP cancer. Participants completed the demographic form, oral cancer disease and treatment form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS), and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Pearson correlations and linear regressions were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Participants had a median global health related QOL score of 66.7 (interquartile range, IQR = 50.0, 83.4) with median scores for the subdomains being generally high (all >80 of possible 100). Anxiety and depression were significantly inversely correlated with all areas of EORTC QOL (r = - 0.48 to -0.78, all p < .001). Multivariable associations were strongest with the physical functioning domain (R = 0.56, p < .001), with younger age, higher income, Stage I/II cancer (compared to Stage III/IV) significant contributors to the multiple correlation (beta > ± 0.20, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Health care providers should be attentive to OCOP cancer patients with older age, lower household income, advanced cancer stage, and presence of anxious and/or depressive symptoms for indicators of poor QOL. CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER THE BENEFIT OF: initiating supportive interventions before cancer treatment among OCOP cancer patients with poor QOL.

Factors associated with survival and patient's quality of life after segmental mandibulectomy

AIM

This study aimed to explore the survival rate and quality of life (QoL) in patients who underwent segmental mandibulectomy and determine the associated factor with survival rate and QoL.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, all patients who underwent segmental mandibular resection in the referral center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during 2015-2019 were included. Inclusion criteria were segmental mandibulectomy due to any pathology and age of more than 8 years old. Demographic, clinical data and patient survival were recorded. EORTC QLQ-HN43 was used to evaluate QoL.

RESULTS

Totally, 82 patients were studied. The overall 3-year survival rate was 69.5% (57 patients) (mean ± SD: 1.35 ± 1.03 years). According to univariate analysis, age (p-value = 0.001), hospital lengths of stay (p-value < 0.001), gender (p-value = 0.014, OR = 4.143), education (p-value = 0.015, OR = 0.291), pathology (p-value < 0.001, OR = 17.000), metastasis (p-value = 0.018, OR = 4.894), neck dissection (p-value < 0.001, OR = 52.381), frozen margin (p-value < 0.001 OR = 8.000), recurrence (p-value = 0.001, OR = 6.273), and status of chemoradiotherapy (p-value < 0.001) were significantly associated with survival rate. Logistic regression revealed that survival was associated with gender (p-value = 0.040, OR = 23.689), level of education (p-value = 0.019, OR = 0.019), and neck dissection (p-value = 0.019, OR = 175.781). According to univariate analysis, pathology (p-value = 0.003), neck dissection (p-value = 0.024), frozen margin (p-value = 0.004), and chemoradiotherapy (p-value = 0.026) were significantly associated with QoL. Linear regression revealed that QoL was associated with none of the measured factors.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, gender, level of education, and neck dissection were related to 3-year patients' survival. None of the measured factors in this study were associated with QoL.

Head and neck cancer in the UK: what was the stage before COVID-19? UK cancer registries analysis (2011-2018)

Introduction People who present with more advanced stage head and neck cancer (HNC) are associated with poorer outcomes and survival. The burden and trends of advanced stage HNC are not fully known at the population level. The UK national cancer registries routinely collect data on HNC diagnoses.Aims To describe trends in stage of diagnosis of HNCs across the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Aggregated HNC incidence data were requested from the national cancer registries of the four UK countries for the ten most recent years of available data by subsite and American Joint Commission on Cancer stage at diagnosis classification. Additionally, data for Scotland were available by age group, sex and area-based socioeconomic deprivation category.Results Across the UK, rates of advanced stage HNC had increased, with 59% of patients having advanced disease at diagnosis from 2016-2018. England had a lower proportion of advanced disease (58%) than Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (65-69%) where stage data were available. The completeness of stage data had improved over recent years (87% by 2018).Conclusion Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnoses of HNC at an advanced stage comprised the majority of HNCs in the UK, representing the major challenge for the cancer healthcare system.

Donor Site Morbidity and Quality of Life after Microvascular Head and Neck Reconstruction with a Chimeric, Thoracodorsal, Perforator-Scapular Flap Based on the Angular Artery (TDAP-Scap-aa Flap)

Extensive defects in the head and neck area often require the use of advanced free flap reconstruction techniques. In this study, the thoracodorsal perforator-scapular free flap technique based on the angular artery (TDAP-Scap-aa flap) was postoperatively evaluated regarding the quality of life and the donor site morbidity using the standardized SF-36 and DASH questionnaires (short form health 36 and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand scores). Over a five-year period (2016−2020), 20 selected cases (n = 20) requiring both soft and hard tissue reconstruction were assessed. On average, the harvested microvascular free flaps consisted of 7.8 ± 2.1 cm hard tissue and 86 ± 49.8 cm2 soft tissue components. At the donor site (subscapular region), only a mild morbidity was observed (DASH score: 21.74 ± 7.3 points). When comparing the patients’ postoperative quality of life to the established values of the healthy German norm population, the observed SF-36 values were within the upper third (>66%) of these established norm values in almost all quality-of-life subcategories. The mild donor site morbidity and the observed quality of life indicate only a small postoperative impairment when using the TDAP-Scap-aa free flap for the reconstruction of extensive maxillofacial defects.

Addressing symptoms that affect patients' eating according to the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist©

PURPOSE

The purpose of this prospective study was to assess which nutritional impact symptoms (NIS) interfere with oral intake in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and how the symptoms interfere with body weight loss, up to 1 year after treatment.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of 197 patients with HNC planned for treatment with curative intention. Body weight was measured before the start of treatment, at 7 weeks after the start of treatment, and at 6 and 12 months after completion of treatment. NIS and NIS interfering with oral intake at each follow-up were examined with the Head and Neck Patient Symptom Checklist^© (HNSC^©).

RESULTS

At 7 weeks of follow-up, patients experienced the greatest symptom and interference burden, and 12 months after treatment the NIS scorings had not returned to baseline. One year after treatment, the highest scored NIS to interfere with oral intake was swallowing problems, chewing difficulties, and loss of appetite. At all 3 follow-ups, the total cumulative NIS and NIS interfering with oral intake were associated with body weight loss. Factors increasing the risk for a body weight loss of ≥ 10% at 12 months after treatment were pain, loss of appetite, feeling full, sore mouth, difficulty swallowing, taste changes, and dry mouth. Women scored higher than men in NIS and NIS interfering with oral intake. Furthermore, during the study period about half of the population had a body weight loss > 5%.

CONCLUSION

Because both nutritional and clinical factors may affect body weight, this study highlights the importance of a holistic approach when addressing the patients' nutritional issues.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03343236, date of registration: November 17, 2017.

Perioperative Symptom Burden and Its Influencing Factors in Patients with Oral Cancer: A Longitudinal Study

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify the symptom burden of perioperative oral cancer patients, its trajectory, and the factors influencing it.

Methods

A longitudinal, repeated measures design with consecutively identified sampling was used to recruit oral cancer patients scheduled for surgical treatment. Data collected included sociodemographic and clinical information, nutritional risk by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, and symptom burden by M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN) at preoperation, 7 days postsurgery, and 1 month postsurgery.

Results

Perioperative patients with oral cancer had multiple symptoms. Pain, difficulty swallowing/chewing, and mouth/throat sores (61.9%–76.1%) were the most prevalent symptoms before surgery. The symptom burden was the highest at 7 days after surgery, with the most prevalent symptoms, including difficulty swallowing/chewing, difficulty with voice/speech, and problems with mucus (87.8%–95.4%). At 1 month postsurgery, the 3 main symptoms were numbness or tingling, difficulty swallowing/chewing, and difficulty with voice/speech (all 87.8%). Treatment stage, job, comorbidity, cancer stage, adjuvant therapy, and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score were correlated with symptom burdens.

Conclusions

Our study illustrates that perioperative oral cancer patients have multiple symptoms and high symptom burdens, especially at 7 days postsurgery, with prominent symptoms and symptom burdens varying with the treatment stage.

Validation of the German-language version of the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 and evaluation of oral-health-related quality of life among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

The aim of this study was to translate the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 (LORQv3) into German and validate this version in order to assess oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among head and neck cancer patients. This study was conducted at a German university clinic among patients who had completed therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). The original English-language LORQv3 was translated into German according to the forward-backward approach. Validity and reliability were evaluated using further questionnaires related to OHRQoL and psychological impairments. Subgroups were built with reference to oral rehabilitation status and type of cancer therapy. Furthermore, OHRQoL was evaluated. Test-retest reliability was assessed by weighted kappa with a 10-14 day interval. Data were analysed by using Spearman's correlation and the following tests: Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U and Cronbach's alpha. The level of significance was set at α = 0.05. Analysis of the LORQv3 evaluations revealed excellent Cronbach's alpha and high test-retest reliability. Construct validity were supported by the data. LORQv3 summary score and domains were significantly affected by status of oral rehabilitation (p = 0.003, p = 0.008, p = 0.024) and treatment approach (p < 0.001, p = 0.025, p = 0.035). The German version of the LORQv3 showed high reliability and validity and an impaired OHRQoL of HNSCC patients. It can therefore be recommended for the assessment of OHRQoL.

Difficult Biliary Cannulation from the Perspective of Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis: Identifying the Optimal Timing for the Rescue Cannulation Technique

Background/Aims

Recently, the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) proposed criteria for “difficult biliary cannulation” during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of the ESGE criteria from the perspective of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).

Methods

An ERCP database was prospectively maintained between November 2014 and December 2015 across six teaching hospitals in South Korea. The ESGE criteria (biliary cannulation time, the number of cannulation attempts, and inadvertent pancreatic duct [PD] manipulation) were recorded in this database as well as other technical factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for PEP. Then, the PEP prediction model was investigated using decision tree analysis.

Results

We analyzed 1,067 consecutive patients with naïve papilla. The overall rate of PEP was 6.6%. Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.860; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.124 to 3.078), a selective biliary cannulation duration >5 minutes (OR, 3.282; 95% CI, 1.641 to 6.566), and inadvertent PD manipulation (OR, 2.614; 95% CI, 1.480 to 4.617) were significant factors affecting PEP. Decision tree analysis revealed that biliary cannulation time (χ²=49.857, p<0.001) and inadvertent PD manipulation (χ²=8.556, p=0.010) were decisive factors. PEP occurred in 3.9%, 11.8%, and 16.2% of patients with biliary cannulation duration lasting 3 to 5 minutes, >5 minutes, and >5 minutes with inadvertent PD manipulation, respectively.

Conclusions

Biliary cannulation time and inadvertent PD manipulation could be relevant indicators of PEP, and 5 minutes might be used as a cutoff value for the implementation of the rescue cannulation technique. (Gut Liver 2021;15-465)

Retrospective long-term clinical evaluation of implant-prosthetic rehabilitations after head and neck cancer therapy

OBJECTIVE

To assess clinical and patient-reported outcomes of implant-prosthetic rehabilitations in patients with a history of head-neck cancer (HNC), treated with tumor resection without (TR) or with adjuvant radiotherapy (TR/RT). A healthy cohort rehabilitated with the same reconstructive protocols served as control group (C).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 28 women and 29 men were considered in the present retrospective study. Participants received 322 implants, finally supporting 79 prosthetic reconstructions. Primary outcome was the assessment of implant and prosthetic survival rates. Furthermore peri-implant soft tissue parameters (attached peri-implant mucosa, AM; modified bleeding and plaque indices, mBI/mPI; probing depth, PD) and prosthetic technical complications were documented. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) by means of visual analog scales (VAS) and the Oral Health Impact Profile German 14 form (OHIP G14) were collected. For statistical purposes Chi-square and Mann-Whitney-U-Test were adapted.

RESULTS

After a mean follow-up of 81.2 ± 50.3 months, implant survival rate was 98.1% (HNC-TR), 98.2% (HNC-TR/RT) and 100.0% (C), respectively (four implants failed in the HNC groups). HNC-TR/RT showed significant higher mPI and mBI compared to C. Within HNC-TR/RT, vestibuloplasty significantly reduced mBI and PD values. No failures occurred at the prosthetic level. Overall, higher VAS scores were reported for bar- compared with Locator-retained prostheses. Furthermore, increased OHIP G14 values resulted for HNC-TR/RT.

CONCLUSIONS

High survival rates on implant and prosthetic level were observed. The use of soft tissue grafts resulted in stabilization of the peri-implant mucosa in irradiated patients. In terms of retention and chewing ability, participants preferred bars over Locator attachments.

Oral health-related quality of life in oral cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the impact of oral health on quality of life in oral cancer patients (OCPs). Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for publications on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in OCP and the information was extracted according to the PRISMA guidelines. A random effect model was used to obtain the pooled standard mean differences of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaire responses in meta-analysis. Results: total of 12 research papers were analyzed and revealed poor OHRQoL in OCPs (standard mean difference: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.55-3.50; p < 0.00001) compared with healthy individuals due to the effects of oncotherapy. Moreover, OHRQoL deteriorated with combinations of different treatment modalities. Conclusion: Oral health and oncotherapy can affect the quality of life in OCPs.

Complex Mandibular Reconstruction for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma-The Ongoing Challenge in Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

Simple Summary

Cancer therapy includes a broad range of microvascular free flaps that may restore defects and improve patients’ quality of life. This is particularly important for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and composite mandibular reconstructions, containing tissues of bone, muscle, and skin, which may be problematic due to their magnitude and sensitive location. The subscapular system offers a highly valuable donor site with the most versatility and the potential for rapid rehabilitation. Interestingly, other donor sites are more commonly used internationally. Therefore, we evaluated the use of the subscapular system free flap (SFF), which is the most commonly used free flap at our department. To our knowledge, this retrospective study represents the largest number of SFF cases reported to date in the literature. Furthermore, we examined the quality of life in a subgroup of patients, combining prospective occurrences to provide insight into overall rehabilitation from the patients’ viewpoints.

Abstract

Large head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors affecting the mandible require a versatile reconstruction to maintain form, function, and quality of life. Large defect reconstruction of soft and hard tissue in the head and neck necessitates, at best, one vascular system including various tissues by large dimensions. The subscapular flap system seems to meet these standards. A retrospective study was conducted focusing on clinical data, including an analysis of the quality of life with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaires, (QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N43). A total of 154 patients (122 males, 32 females; age range: 31–71 years, mean: 54.5 years) treated at our department from 1983 through to 2019 were included. Of the subscapular system free flaps (SFFs), 147 were based on the angular artery branch of the thoracodorsal pedicle (95.45%), and the remaining seven cases (4.55%) were lateral scapular border flaps. Mean mandible defect length was 7.3 cm. The mean skin paddle dimension was 86.8 cm². The most common recipient artery was the thyroid superior artery (79.22%). Major postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (8.44%). This study confirms that SFFs offer excellent soft and hard tissue quality, component independence, a large arc of rotation length, and a large gauge of pedicle, making them the gold standard for the reconstruction of large composite defects of mandibular HNSCC tumors.

Clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with oral health-related quality of life in survivors of head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

Factors related to head and neck cancer and the treatment of the disease can affect quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with the severity of impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in survivors of head and neck cancer using a multivariate analysis.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study evaluated 90 volunteers who had completed radiotherapy at least 3 months earlier. OHRQoL was assessed using oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) and the data were analyzed using robust variance poisson regression models.

RESULTS

The mean total OHIP-14 score was 23.98 ± 12.55. Patients with hyposalivation had 56% higher (worse) mean OHIP-14 total scores (CI:1.11-2.18) and patients with advanced stage tumors had 31% higher mean OHIP-14 total scores (CI:1.03-1.66) in multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSION

OHRQoL of survivors of head and neck cancer experienced a negative impact following radiotherapy. The impact was associated with hyposalivation and advanced stage tumors.

Comparison of supervised machine learning classification techniques in prediction of locoregional recurrences in early oral tongue cancer

BACKGROUND

The proper estimate of the risk of recurrences in early-stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is mandatory for individual treatment-decision making. However, this remains a challenge even for experienced multidisciplinary centers.

OBJECTIVES

We compared the performance of four machine learning (ML) algorithms for predicting the risk of locoregional recurrences in patients with OTSCC. These algorithms were Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Boosted Decision Tree (BDT), and Decision Forest (DF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study cohort comprised 311 cases from the five University Hospitals in Finland and A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil. For comparison of the algorithms, we used the harmonic mean of precision and recall called F1 score, specificity, and accuracy values. These algorithms and their corresponding permutation feature importance (PFI) with the input parameters were externally tested on 59 new cases. Furthermore, we compared the performance of the algorithm that showed the highest prediction accuracy with the prognostic significance of depth of invasion (DOI).

RESULTS

The results showed that the average specificity of all the algorithms was 71% . The SVM showed an accuracy of 68% and F1 score of 0.63, NB an accuracy of 70% and F1 score of 0.64, BDT an accuracy of 81% and F1 score of 0.78, and DF an accuracy of 78% and F1 score of 0.70. Additionally, these algorithms outperformed the DOI-based approach, which gave an accuracy of 63%. With PFI-analysis, there was no significant difference in the overall accuracies of three of the algorithms; PFI-BDT accuracy increased to 83.1%, PFI-DF increased to 80%, PFI-SVM decreased to 64.4%, while PFI-NB accuracy increased significantly to 81.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that the best classification accuracy was achieved with the boosted decision tree algorithm. Additionally, these algorithms outperformed the DOI-based approach. Furthermore, with few parameters identified in the PFI analysis, ML technique still showed the ability to predict locoregional recurrence. The application of boosted decision tree machine learning algorithm can stratify OTSCC patients and thus aid in their individual treatment planning.

Evaluation of quality of life in patients with oral cancer after mandibular resection: Comparing no reconstruction, reconstruction with plate, and reconstruction with flap

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess and compare quality of life in patients with advanced oral cavity tumors after mandibular resection in 3 groups (no reconstruction, reconstruction with plate, and reconstruction with flap) at the Cancer Institute, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Quality of life was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core quality of life questionnaire and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer head and neck cancer-specific quality of life questionnaire-35 items. The comparison was tested using Kurskal-Wallis analysis. All 120 patients were entered into the study. The mean age of patients was 48.5 (standard deviation = 18.1) years. Patients presented with advanced stage of the disease and underwent mandibular resection with no reconstruction (n = 40), reconstruction with plate (n = 41), and reconstruction with flap (n = 39). The findings showed that in general, there were no statistically significant differences in quality of life among 3 groups except for speech problem (P = .4), dry mouth (P = .03), and feeling ill (P = .04). Although there were no significant differences in quality of life among patients in 3 groups, overall patients who received reconstruction with flap reported better functioning and fewer symptoms. Those who did not receive any reconstruction reported the worse conditions.