Obstructive sleep apnea and head and neck neoplasms.
OBJECTIVE
To elaborate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and head and neck neoplasms (HNN).


METHODS
A systematic review of the MEDLINE literature.


RESULTS
Thirty of 34 articles indexed under OSA and HNN were about neoplasms that presented first as OSA. Four of the articles were about treatment of HNN causing OSA and gave incidences varying from 8% to 92%. Quality of life surveys confirm that patients with malignant HNN have sleep problems. Xerostomia may contribute to these sleep problems, and the role of salivary mucins deserves consideration.


CONCLUSIONS
This review of the literature raises several new research questions about the clinical and biological relationships between OSA and HNN.
Rada
Roy
R
Department of Information Systems, 1000 Hilltop Circle, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. rada@umbc.edu
D015897:Comorbidity; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000528:radiation effects; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000453:epidemiology