title: Incidence of hospitalization in patients with head and neck cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with primary head and neck cancer managed with radiation therapy (RT) +/- chemotherapy may experience significant treatment-related toxicities. We assessed hospitalization as a metric for severe treatment-related toxicities and evaluated patient and treatment factors for possible association.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed on 147 patients with head and neck cancer treated with definitive or adjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) +/- chemotherapy. Multiple Poisson regression model was used to analyze relationships between patient or treatment factors and number of hospital stays during RT and within 8 weeks after RT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analysis showed preexisting diabetes or pulmonary disease, primary carcinoma of oral cavity, and prescribed radiation dose (p < .05) were associated with increased number of patient hospital stays during or shortly after RT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that 34.7% of patients experienced a chemoradiation toxicity-related hospitalization during or shortly after treatment. Prior pulmonary disease, diabetes, and increasing prescribed radiation dose were associated with increased hospital stays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kabolizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.|Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ohr
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kubicek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: chemoradiation; head and neck cancer; hospitalization; intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT); percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube; toxicity