title: Factors affecting duration of gastrostomy tube retention in survivors following treatment for head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many patients treated for head and neck cancer require nutritional support, which is often delivered using a gastrostomy tube. It is difficult to predict which patients will retain their gastrostomy tube in the long term. This study aimed to identify the factors which affect the duration of gastrostomy tube retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 151 consecutive patients from one centre were audited. All patients had a mucosal tumour of the head and neck, and underwent gastrostomy tube insertion between 2003 and 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were near-complete data sets for 132 patients. The gastrostomy tube was retained in survivors (n = 66) for a mean of 21.3 months and in non-survivors (n = 66) for 11.9 months. Univariate analysis showed that co-morbidity was the only factor which significantly increased duration of gastrostomy tube retention in survivors (p = 0.041).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Co-morbidity alone was associated with a significant increase in gastrostomy tube retention. It is suggested that co-morbidity be included as a variable in future relevant research. Co-morbidity should also be considered when counselling patients about their long-term function following cancer treatment. Gastrostomy tube retention is likely to be affected by many factors, with few single variables having importance independently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blanchford
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bowe
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Moor
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paleri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology