title: Elderly patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and the benefit of multimodality therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited data are available regarding outcomes in elderly head and neck cancer patients. This retrospective study was designed to characterize head and neck cancer in geriatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included all patients in a large university-based tumor registry who were diagnosed with head and neck cancer from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2005. Patients aged ≥70 years at the time of diagnosis were defined as older. Overall survival and progression-free survival were censored at 60 months. Survival differences were compared using the log-rank test. Hazard ratios were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,598 patients identified, 1,166 patients were aged <70 years (i.e., younger) and 281 patients were aged ≥70 years (older). When controlling for possible confounders, older patients were nearly twice as likely to die within 5 years as their younger counterparts (hazard ratio: 1.92). The median life expectancy for older patients was nearly 5 years for stage I-II disease and <2 years for stage III-IV disease. Older patients with stage III-IV disease who received multimodality therapy had 5-year survival similar to that younger patients with stage III-IV disease who were treated similarly (33.2% vs. 44.0%). Older patients with stage III-IV disease who received single-modality therapy had extremely poor survival compared with all other patients (hazard ratio for progression-free survival: 1.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the need for better understanding of the factors affecting head and neck cancer outcomes in elderly patients. Information about life expectancy in elderly head and neck cancer patients may help guide treatment decisions.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Moye
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Sindhu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandramouleeswaran
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Hyman B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Muss
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Weissler
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA hayes@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jose P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zevallos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
keywords: Aged; Drug therapy; Head and neck neoplasms; Radiotherapy; Surgical therapy