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The role of infection in the morbidity and mortality of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing multimodality therapy
Author(s) -
Hussain Maha,
Kish Julie A.,
Crane Lawrence,
Uwayda Ahmed,
Cummings Glen,
Ensley John F.,
Tapazoglou Efstathios,
AlSarraf Muhyi
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19910201)67:3<716::aid-cncr2820670331>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - medicine , head and neck cancer , cancer , pneumonia , disease , bacteremia , surgery , intensive care medicine , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Cancer of the head and neck is a common cancer worldwide. The majority of patients present with locally advanced disease. Recently a great deal of improvement has been made in multimodality therapy of this disease, warranting more careful consideration of factors affecting quality of life, disease course, and treatment. Infection is clearly a factor. Analysis of 662 hospital admissions of 169 head and neck cancer patients was performed. A definite infection was documented in 86 febrile episodes, pneumonia contributed to 40%, bacteremia to 13%, skin and soft tissue infection to 12%, and tracheobronchitis to 10%. Among the evaluated risk factors, foreign bodies, specifically intravenous (IV) cannulae and gastrostomy tubes, race, performance status, alcohol intake, and nutritional status were statistically significant variables that predicted for or were associated with infection. Infection contributed to 44% of the deaths.