Neurologic sequelae following radiation with and without chemotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer: Patient reported outcomes study. Issue 8 (25th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garden, Adam S.; Kamal, Mona; Mohamed, Abdallah S. R.; Frank, Steven J.; Lewin, Jan S.; Lai, Stephen Y.; Morrison, William H.; Phan, Jack; Ferrarotto, Renata; Rosenthal, David I.; Hutcheson, Katherine A.; Fuller, Clifton D.; Gunn, Gary B.
• Is Part Of: Head & neck. Volume 42:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 2137
• Page End: 2144
• Publication Date: 2020-03-25
• Subjects: chemoradiation -- cisplatin -- radiation -- taxane; Head -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neck -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Head -- Periodicals; Neck -- Periodicals; Face -- Periodicals; 617.51059
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.26151
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1043-3074

Abstract

Abstract: Background: There is little data describing neurocognitive late sequelae in patients treated for oropharyngeal cancer. Methods: Using PROs, scores for "numbness/tingling" and "difficulty remembering" were assessed. Wilcoxon testing was utilized to compare mean assessment scores (1‐10) between treatment subgroups. Results: Four‐hundred ninety‐seven patients were evaluated and 267 (54%) received chemotherapy. The mean score for numbness/tingling for patients receiving radiation alone was 0.99 and for each chemotherapy subgroup were: Induction chemotherapy (IC), 1.35 (n = 99); concurrent chemotherapy (CCRT), 1.04 (n = 111) and IC + CCRT, 2.48 (n = 57); 30% of patients who received IC + CCRT had scores ≥5. The mean scores for difficulty remembering were XRT: 1.44, chemotherapy: 1.45, and IC + CCRT subgroup: 2.42. Conclusions: The symptom burden related to peripheral neuropathy and cognitive complaints was minimal. A minority of patients reported high burdens. Particularly, 30% of patients receiving IC + CCRT described moderate to severe numbness/tingling.