title: Aspiration pneumonia related deaths in head and neck cancer patients: a retrospective analysis of risk factors from a tertiary care centre in North India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aspiration pneumonia is an important cause of death in head and neck cancer patients. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with aspiration pneumonia in head and neck cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital death records from 12 years (2000-2012) were reviewed to obtain the number of deaths. Treatment details and cause of death were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The records revealed that aspiration pneumonia was the cause of death in 51 out of 85 patients. Primary tumour site (oropharynx and hypopharynx, odds ratio 3.3; 95 per cent confidence interval 1.17-9.4, p = 0.02) and advanced tumour stage (odds ratio 4.2, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.16-15.61, p = 0.02) had significant negative impacts on aspiration pneumonia related mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced pharyngeal cancer patients are at an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia related death. Investigations for the early detection of this condition are recommended in these high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kairo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Mohanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasker
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology,All India Institute of Medical Sciences,New Delhi,India.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Rath
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Aspiration Pneumonia; Chemoradiotherapy; Death; Head and Neck Cancer; India