Comparisons of dysphagia and quality of life (QOL) in comparable patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer receiving chemo-irradiation or cetuximab-irradiation

The Inconsistent Assessment of Quality of Life in Patients Treated for Head and Neck Cancer with Anti-EGFR Inhibitors: A Systematic Scoping Review

In patients receiving treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), there is a correlation between quality of life (QoL) scores and treatment outcomes. Higher QoL scores have been associated with improved survival. Despite this, the assessment of QoL in clinical trials varies considerably. Three databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Cinahl) were queried for articles published in English between 2006 and 2022. Two reviewers (SRS and ANT) performed study screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. The authors identified 21 articles that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 5961 patients were evaluated. QoL was reported as average scores for specific variables across five different surveys in 12 included articles. Supplemental QoL data were available in 10 included studies. Critical appraisal of studies indicated a high risk of bias due to the inclusion of trials. There is no standard method for reporting QoL data in clinical trials for HNC patients undergoing treatment with anti-EGFR inhibitors. Future clinical trials should standardize their method for assessing and reporting quality-of-life data to increase patient-centered care and refine treatment choices to optimize survival.

Patient Reported Outcome Measures for Salivary Function: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

A number of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) assess quality of life and symptom severity in patients with salivary gland dysfunction, but many vary in the extent of validation and domain types addressed. We identified PROMs validated to measure salivary gland function and analyzed key properties.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycInfo, and CINAHL.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Validated instruments with >1 item to assess salivary gland-related symptoms were included. PROMs were evaluated for developmental methodology, structure, validity, and reliability using Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 2059 abstracts were retrieved, and 133 full-text articles were reviewed. Sixteen PROMs assessing xerostomia (n = 7), sialadenitis (n = 4), Sjogren's syndrome (n = 2), Parkinson's-associated sialorrhea (n = 2), and oral systemic sclerosis (n = 1) were identified. Most (n = 15) were developed de novo, one was adapted from a pre-existing questionnaire. Eleven PROMs demonstrated "very good" analysis of internal consistency per COSMIN criteria, and 10 included test-retest data. Regarding content validity, four PROMs were developed with both patient and physician input, but none were rated as "adequate." All included comparisons against other questionnaires (n = 7), salivary flow rate (n = 9), and/or healthy controls (n = 3). The most rigorously developed PROM, the Xerostomia Inventory, was rated adequate in 6 out of 7 domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Several PROMs evaluate salivary function. The abilties of these PROMs to meet design and validation standards were variable, with notable limitations in content validity for all tools. New and updated PROMs assessing obstructive and inflammatory salivary symptoms should  utilize patient and provider input.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A Laryngoscope, 2023.

Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trial Demographics

Simple Summary

HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is unique amongst oropharyngeal cancers in its high responsiveness to treatment and its lower mortality rate. As a result, numerous clinical trials have been conducted to identify treatment modalities and protocols. In order for these trials to have meaningful impact on HPV-associated OPSCC patients, proper demographic representation by trial participants is essential. The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the demographics of trial participants for HPV-associated OPSCC clinical trials and compare them with those reported by national databases. We determined that clinical-trial participants were predominately non-smoking white men, with tonsils as the primary tumor site. These findings reflect the demographics reported by the National Cancer Database. Our results imply that HPV-associated OPSCC clinical trials appropriately represent the target population and offer immense benefit.

Abstract

The objective of our paper was to answer the following question: how do patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma OPSCC (Population) enrolled in clinical trials (Intervention), compared with national database reports of HPV-associated OPSCC patients (Comparison), present demographically (Outcome)? We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies pertaining to clinical trials of HPV-associated OPSCC and participant demographics in the United States. PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 2 February 2022. Studies of overlapping participant cohorts and/or studies conducted outside of the United States were excluded. Primary outcomes were patient age, sex, and race. Secondary outcomes were smoking history, alcohol history, history of prior cancer, and tumor origin site. Meta-analysis of single means (mean, N for each study, and standard deviation) for age, pack years, and smoking years was performed. Pooled prevalence rates of gender, race, alcohol history, tobacco history, and tumor origin site were expressed as a percentage, with 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis found patients to be predominately non-smoking white males, with tumors originating from the tonsil. Our findings reflected the demographics reported by the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for HPV-associated OPSCC. This indicates that HPV-associated OPSCC patients are appropriately represented in clinical trial demographics.

Quantifying smoking exposure, genomic correlates, and related risk of treatment failure in p16+ squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

OBJECTIVES

HPV-associated (p16+) squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPSCC) has improved survival as compared to HPV-negative, smoking-associated disease. Intermediate outcomes have been noted in patients with p16+ tumors and smoking exposure. However, the extent of smoking exposure required for outcomes to decrease has not been delineated due to low failure rates and poor availability of quantitative tobacco smoke exposure data. Our primary objective is to characterize the dose-dependent relationship between recurrence-free survival (RFS) and tobacco smoke exposure in p16+ OPSCC and secondarily correlate tobacco smoke exposure with genomic alterations.

METHODS

Single institution chart review was performed of patients diagnosed with p16+ OPSCC from 2003 to 2015. Patients were excluded if staging, treatment details, recurrence status, or smoking exposure in pack-years were not available. Two hundred and forty-four patients were included.

RESULTS

Patients with 25 pack-years or greater smoking history exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in RFS compared to never smokers. This was robust to multivariate analysis for including staging and demographic factors. Forty-three patients with available targeted tumor sequencing data were identified. A strong trend was observed for increased C to A transversion mutations above 25 pack-years, which are known to be associated with exposure to tobacco smoke. Similarly, the proportion of COSMIC Signature 4 mutations were also found to be more common in patients with more than 25 pack-years of smoking exposure.

CONCLUSION

Evidence-based smoking exposure thresholds are needed to define inclusion criteria for trials of de-escalation therapy for p16+ OPSCC. Patients with smoking exposure greater than 20 pack-years have increased risk of recurrence and a distinct pattern of genomic alterations. Further studies are needed to delineate the potential consequences of mild smoking exposure. Smoking-related mutational signatures may hold potential for biomarker development in p16+ OPSCC.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

2B.

Gastrostomy tube dependence and patient-reported quality of life outcomes based on type of treatment for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis

We examined the impact of treatment modality on gastrostomy tube dependence and patient-reported outcomes in human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPSCC). We performed systematic review and meta-analysis of functional outcomes 1-3 years after treatment. Twenty-three studies were included, reporting on 3127 patients treated for HPV-OPSCC. Gastrostomy tube dependence failed to show statistically significant difference between surgery with adjuvant therapy and chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin at 12 months (8.3% [95% CI: 3.1-15.9] vs. 4.2% [1.1-9.2], p = 0.37) and 24-36 months (10.5% [95% CI: 3.2-21.5] vs. 3.3% [2.0-4.9], p = 0.06). Surgery with adjuvant therapy was associated with worse University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) Swallowing (84 [95% CI: 80-88] vs. 89 [87-90], p = 0.03) and UW-QOL Overall scores (76 [95% CI: 72-80] vs. 84 [81-86], p = 0.001) compared to chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin at 12 months. Surgery with adjuvant therapy was associated with worse performance on certain measures of patient-reported swallow and overall function compared to chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to directly compare functional outcomes after treatment for HPV-OPSCC.

Patient-reported quality of life and symptom burden measures in human papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal cancer - A review of the literature and PRO methodology

The emergence of human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPVOPC) has resulted in an explosion of clinical research offering reduced toxicity and improved health-related quality of life (HRQL) through treatment de-escalation. At the heart of this objective are patient-reported outcomes (PROs) which aim to quantify the patient experience, usually through the measurement of HRQL or symptom burden. A number of PRO measures (PROMs) are available to HNC researchers and selection of the optimal instrument relies on a detailed understanding of their content and psychometric properties matched to the clinical endpoint of interest. As PROMs become increasingly favoured as the primary or co-primary endpoints of interest in HNC clinical trials, particularly those focussed on HPVOPC, future treatment paradigms will be determined by these measures and it is imperative that they are applied with sophistication and rigor. This review draws attention to the limitations and challenges our specialty faces in PRO application, analysis and reporting. These shortfalls typically include a reliance on statistical rather than clinically relevant differences, multiple hypothesis testing, a lack of evidence-based minimal clinically important differences for the commonly used tools, as well as variations in PROM selection. The aim of this review is to provide: (1) an overview of PRO/PROM terminology and methodology in the HNC setting; (2) to provide a summary of HRQL and symptom burden reports in the HPVOPC literature; and (3) to draw attention to the unmet research need of refining PROM development, application and interpretation to guide our treatment decisions based on what matters to patients.

Use of the Penetration-Aspiration Scale in Dysphagia Research: A Systematic Review

The penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) is an 8-point scale used to characterize the depth and response to airway invasion during videofluoroscopy. Though widely used in the field of deglutition, there is a lack of consensus regarding the statistical properties of the scale. In order to better understand the state of the literature and the statistical use of the PAS, a systematic review was undertaken to descriptively examine trends in statistical and reporting practices of the PAS since its inception. Online databases were searched for studies citing the original PAS article, which yielded 754 unique articles. Of these, 183 studies were included in the review. Results showed inconsistencies in the statistical use of the scale; 79 studies treated the PAS as ordinal, 71 as categorical, and 49 as interval. Ten types of categorizations were identified. Reporting of power analyses (9%), as well as inter- (26%) and intra-rater (17%) reliability, was uncommon. Among studies that administered multiple bolus volumes or consistencies, 55% reported PAS analyses at the participant/group level only. This review confirms the existence of discrepancies in the statistical treatment of the PAS. A lack of consensus among researchers limits comparisons between studies. The approach to handling this scale dictates the statistical tests used, potentially affecting results and interpretations. Consistent application of statistically sound approaches to PAS analyses is vital for the future of deglutition research.

Predictors of Patient-Reported Dysphagia Following IMRT Plus Chemotherapy in Oropharyngeal Cancer

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the factors associated with patient-reported dysphagia in patients affected by locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) treated with definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy (CHT), with or without induction CHT. We evaluated 148 OPC patients treated with IMRT and concurrent CHT, without evidence of disease and who had completed their treatment since at least 6 months. At their planned follow-up visit, patients underwent clinical evaluation and completed the M.D. Anderson dysphagia inventory (MDADI) questionnaire. The association between questionnaire composite score (MDADI-CS) and different patients' and tumor's characteristics and treatments (covariates) was investigated by univariable and multivariable analyses, the latter including only covariates significant at univariable analysis. With a median time from treatment end of 30 months [range 6-74 months, interquartile range (IQR) 16-50 months], the median (IQR) MDADI-CS was 72 (63-84). The majority of patients (82.4%) had a MDADI-CS ≥ 60. At multivariable analysis, female gender, human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative status, and moderate and severe clinician-rated xerostomia were significantly associated with lower MDADI-CS. Patient-perceived dysphagia was satisfactory or acceptable in the majority of patients. HPV status and xerostomia were confirmed as important predictive factors for swallowing dysfunction after radiochemotherapy. Data regarding female gender are new and deserve further investigation.

Human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal cancer in Canada: analysis of 5 comprehensive cancer centres using multiple imputation

BACKGROUND

The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has risen over the past 2 decades. This rise has been attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV), but information on temporal trends in incidence of HPV-associated cancers across Canada is limited.

METHODS

We collected social, clinical and demographic characteristics and p16 protein status (p16-positive or p16-negative, using this immunohistochemistry variable as a surrogate marker of HPV status) for 3643 patients with oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 at comprehensive cancer centres in British Columbia (6 centres), Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax. We used receiver operating characteristic curves and multiple imputation to estimate the p16 status for missing values. We chose a best-imputation probability cut point on the basis of accuracy in samples with known p16 status and through an independent relation between p16 status and overall survival. We used logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression.

RESULTS

We found no temporal changes in p16-positive status initially, but there was significant selection bias, with p16 testing significantly more likely to be performed in males, lifetime never-smokers, patients with tonsillar or base-of-tongue tumours and those with nodal involvement (p < 0.05 for each variable). We used the following variables associated with p16-positive status for multiple imputation: male sex, tonsillar or base-of-tongue tumours, smaller tumours, nodal involvement, less smoking and lower alcohol consumption (p < 0.05 for each variable). Using sensitivity analyses, we showed that different imputation probability cut points for p16-positive status each identified a rise from 2000 to 2012, with the best-probability cut point identifying an increase from 47.3% in 2000 to 73.7% in 2012 (p < 0.001).

INTERPRETATION

Across multiple centres in Canada, there was a steady rise in the proportion of oropharyngeal cancers attributable to HPV from 2000 to 2012.