Analysis of ECOG performance status in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: association with sociodemographical and clinical factors, and overall survival

Abstract

Evaluation of physical consumption in head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis may indicate a more aggressive type of malignant disease. Thus, the ECOG-PS scale may help to identify HNSCC patients in need of rapid referral, who may benefit from specific therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions.

Comorbidity and performance status as independent prognostic factors in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…The CCI has specifically been validated for use in patients with HNSCC . Similarly, ECOG PS has had numerous clinical and research applications in HNSCC, including selecting patients for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, as well as evaluating patients in clinical trials and observational studies . Using these instruments, we found that, similar to other institutions, a significant proportion of our HNSCC study population experienced comorbidity and functional impairment at baseline.…”

“…The association between comorbidity and reduced survival in HNSCC has been well documented in multiple studies . Although a prognostic role for PS in HNSCC has also been reported, assessment of the combined effect of comorbidity and PS in predicting HNSCC survival is lacking . A better understanding of these patient‐specific factors is necessary to improve treatment selection, prognostication, and comparison of results across studies.…”

“…[6][7][8] Although a prognostic role for PS in HNSCC has also been reported, assessment of the combined effect of comorbidity and PS in predicting HNSCC survival is lacking. [9][10][11] A better understanding of these patient-specific factors is necessary to improve treatment selection, prognostication, and comparison of results across studies. Therefore, the purposes of the present study were: (1) to determine the impact of comorbidity and PS on overall survival (OS) and cancerspecific survival (CSS) in HNSCC, and (2) to determine whether comorbidity and PS both provide prognostic data that can inform clinical decision-making in HNSCC.…”

Adjuvant chemoradiation does not improve survival in elderly patients with high‐risk resected head and neck cancer

“…However, a limitation of the CDS in patient registries is that it is often a reflection of the number of comorbidities and not necessarily the severity of the comorbidities. Similarly, there is no information in the NCDB on each patient's performance status or smoking history, both of which are important prognostic factors for patients with HNSCC . Recent single‐institution data have demonstrated that elderly patients with HNSCC receiving definitive CRT or RT alone received less toxic concurrent chemotherapy but experienced higher rates of hospitalization, lower rates of feeding gastrostomy tube removal, and a higher rate of death within 3 months of treatment initiation .…”

“…Similarly, there is no information in the NCDB on each patient's performance status or smoking history, both of which are important prognostic factors for patients with HNSCC. [17][18][19][20][21] Recent single-institution data have demonstrated that elderly patients with HNSCC receiving definitive CRT or RT alone received less toxic concurrent chemotherapy but experienced higher rates of hospitalization, lower rates of feeding gastrostomy tube removal, and a higher rate of death within 3 months of treatment initiation. 22 Similarly, data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program have shown that patients >65 years with HNSCC receiving CRT were twice as likely to experience acute treatmentrelated toxicity relative to patients receiving RT alone.…”