Factors Influencing Treatment Outcome of Non-Nasopharyngeal Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Geriatric Patients

Abstract

ancer is considered an age-related disease. More than 50% of cancer patients are aged 65 years or older. HNC are no exception, as incidence increases with age. Geriatric population is a growing group in the world, in 2019 there were 703 million persons aged 65 years or over. Since the aging process is associated with multiple physiological changes and deterioration of organs’ functions, appropriate treatment doesn’t come without challenges. Despite that, geriatric cancer patients are under-represented in clinical trials. This study discusses factors affecting treatment outcome of non-nasopharyngeal HNSCC (larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx) in geriatric patients as defined by WHO. The study population consisted of 50 HNSCC elderly patients diagnosed from June 2014 to June 2019 treated at the head and neck cancer unit, clinical oncology department, Ain Shams University Hospitals. All patients aged 65 years or more with pathologically proven HNSCC of larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx and who had surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy adjuvant or definitive, or combined treatment modality were included in our study. Patients aged below 65 years and/or had