The value of primary and adjuvant radiotherapy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas of the head-and-neck region in the elderly.

Purpose: To examine treatment patterns, oncological outcomes and toxicity rates in elderly patients receiving radiotherapy for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the head-and-neck region.

Material And Methods: In this retrospective single-center analysis, locoregional control (LRC), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of elderly patients > 65 years with cSCC of the head-and-neck region undergoing radiotherapy between 2010 and 2019 were calculated. The prognostic value of clinicopathological parameters on radiotherapy outcomes was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Surviving Elderly Patients with Head-and-Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma-What Is the Long-Term Quality of Life after Curative Radiotherapy?

The effects of radiotherapy on the long-term quality of life (QoL) of surviving elderly HNSCC patients are not well understood, therefore, we analyzed QoL in this population. A cross-sectional analysis was performed at a tertiary cancer center to assess long-term QoL in elderly HNSCC patients. Eligible patients were ≥65 years at the time of treatment who had to be alive for ≥1 year after radiotherapy and without current anti-cancer treatment.

App-Controlled Treatment Monitoring and Support for Head and Neck Cancer Patients (APCOT): Protocol for a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are among the most common malignancies, which often require multimodal treatment that includes radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Patients with HNC have a high burden of symptoms due to both the damaging effects of the tumor and the aggressive multimodal treatment. Close symptom monitoring over the course of the disease may help to identify patients in need of medical interventions.

Radiation-induced toxicities and outcomes after radiotherapy are independent of patient age in elderly salivary gland cancer patients: results from a matched-pair analysis of a rare disease.

Purpose: This study analyzed survival and toxicity after (chemo)radiotherapy for primary salivary gland cancer patients aged ≥ 65 years and compared these results with younger patients using a matched-pair analysis.

Methods: Twenty-nine elderly patients with primary salivary gland carcinomas treated with (chemo)radiotherapy from 2008 to 2020 at University of Freiburg Medical Center were analyzed for oncological outcomes and therapy-associated toxicities. Local/locoregional control (LRC), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the influence of clinical parameters on patient outcomes was assessed.

The Value of Laboratory Parameters for Anemia, Renal Function, Systemic Inflammation and Nutritional Status as Predictors for Outcome in Elderly Patients with Head-and-Neck Cancers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of routine blood markers regarding their predictive potential for treatment outcomes of elderly head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. In total, 246 elderly HNSCC patients (≥65 years) undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy from 2010 to 2018 were analyzed for treatment outcomes, depending on their hemoglobin, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin values, representing anemia, kidney function, inflammation and nutrition status, respectively. Local/locoregional control, progression-free and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

The value of moderate dose escalation for re-irradiation of recurrent or second primary head-and-neck cancer.

Background: Treatment for local and locoregional recurrence or second head-and-neck (H&N) cancers after previous radiotherapy is challenging, and re-irradiation carries a significantly increased risk for radiotherapy-related normal tissue toxicities and treatment failure due to a radioresistant tumor phenotype. Here, we analyzed re-irradiation management and outcomes in patients with recurrent or second primary H&N carcinoma using state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures and radiotherapy techniques.

Methods: Between 2010 and 2019, 48 patients with recurrent or second primary H&N carcinoma received re-radiotherapy at the University of Freiburg Medical Center and were included in this study.

Radiotherapeutic management of cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary site - experiences from a large cohort treated with modern radiation techniques.

Purpose: To analyze management and outcomes following (chemo)radiation therapy in patients with cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary site (CCUP) in a large single-center cohort.

Methods: Between 2008 and 2019, 58 patients with CCUP were treated with (chemo)radiation therapy at the University of Freiburg Medical Center and were included in this analysis. Overall survival (OS), locoregional progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Radiotherapy for geriatric head-and-neck cancer patients: what is the value of standard treatment in the elderly?

Background: Head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies globally, and the number of elderly patients diagnosed with HNSCC is increasing. However, as elderly HNSCC patients are underrepresented in clinical trials, current clinical decision making for this cohort largely lacks clinical evidence.

Methods: Elderly patients (≥65 years) with HNSCC undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy from 2010 to 2018 at Freiburg University Medical Center were assessed for patterns of care, locoregional control (LRC), progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) regarding definitive and adjuvant treatments.