title: Vitamin D status is associated with disease-free survival and overall survival time in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.
abstract: Considerable clinical and experimental data suggest that vitamin D plays a role in pathogenesis and progression of cancer; nevertheless clinical data for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are not available. The aim of our study was to associate tumor and clinical characteristics with status of vitamin D [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)]. 88 patients with newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were included in the study. A blood draw was taken at the time of diagnosis. The observation period lasted from 2006 until 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared to a cohort from an epidemiological study, serum levels of 25(OH)D were significantly reduced in patients with HNSCC. We furthermore found disease-free survival, as well as overall survival times to be significantly associated with 25(OH)D levels. In conclusion, results from our study suggest an influence of vitamin D status on cancer incidence, as well as on mortality of HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Phoniatrics, ENT University Hospital Graz, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26-28, 8036, Graz, Austria. markus.gugatschka@klinikum-graz.at.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gugatschka
authors.affiliation: Department of Phoniatrics, ENT University Hospital Graz, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26-28, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiesler
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Nuclear Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Obermayer-Pietsch
authors.affiliation: Unit of Biostatistics, Center for Medical Research, Medical University, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Groselj-Strele
authors.affiliation: Unit of Biostatistics, Center for Medical Research, Medical University, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griesbacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Phoniatrics, ENT University Hospital Graz, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26-28, 8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friedrich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D014807:Vitamin D