8:38 am Selective versus Nonselective Intraarterial Chemoradiation for Tonsil Cancer

Abstract

92% at 12 months post-treatment. 150 patients (77%) required nutritional support at 3 months post-treatment; 83% had resumed a near-normal diet by 12 months. Of 17 patients (9%) with tracheotomy at initiation of therapy, 71% were decannulated by 6 months. Stage IV disease was the strongest predictor of prolonged dependence upon feeding tubes, although increasing age and female gender were also statistically correlated with time to near-normal diet. Primary site was not predictive.Conclusions: Relatively few patients required tracheotomy either before or during chemoradiotherapy. Substantial numbers of patients required feeding tubes and nutritional support for several months following therapy, but most were tube-free and eating near-normal diets within 1 year.