Correlation between symptoms and course duration of upper aerodigestive tract cancer at early and advanced stages.
There still are many clinical and biological aspects of the natural history of cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract to be unveiled; which in Brazil is a direct consequence of the failure of systematic prevention and early diagnosis campaigns.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the signs and symptoms presented by patients with the disease at initial and advanced stages. Other variables such as disease duration, general and nutritional status were considered.


METHODS
A historical cohort study with a cross-section involving 895 subjects with cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract.


RESULTS
Clinical findings were not statistically correlated with disease progression, nor with the disease in early stages, but it showed rapid disease development.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest a disease of insidious onset in the early stages and fast course afterwards. The long disease duration - greater than three months, was associated with worsening in general and nutritional states of patients.
UNIMONTES, curso médico.
Francis Balduino Guimarães
FB
Santos
UTAD, Portugal.
Jose Jacinto Branco
JJ
Vasconcelos-Raposo
Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (UNIMONTES).
Maria do Carmo Tolentino
Mdo C
Figueiredo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult