• Branislav Jeremić and Biljana Milicić.
• Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Kragujevac, Serbia. B.Jeremic@iaea.org
• Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 2009 Apr 1; 32 (2): 163-8.

BackgroundIdentification of pretreatment prognostic factors influencing overall survival (OS) in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is an important issue in head and neck oncology.MethodsA total of 289 patients were treated with standard fraction or hyperfractionated radiation therapy with or without concurrent low-dose daily chemotherapy.ResultsGender (P = 0.43) and age (P = 0.26) did not influence OS whereas Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) (P < 0.0001), T stage (P < 0.0001), and N stage (P < 0.0001) did. Stage grouping was another factor that influenced OS (P < 0.001). Patients with larynx and nasopharynx fared better than those with other primaries (P = 0.0153). Finally, treatment significantly influenced OS. Multivariate analysis showed that KPS, T and N stage, and treatment were independent prognosticators of OS.ConclusionsKPS, T and N stage, and treatment are independent prognosticators of OS in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with radiation therapy with or without concurrent low-dose daily chemotherapy.

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