Anemia during sequential induction chemotherapy and chemo-radiation for head and neck cancer: The impact of blood transfusion on treatment outcome

Abstract Background Carnitine is related to malaise, and cisplatin is associated with decreased carnitine. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of one course of induction chemotherapy (IC) for head and neck cancer on blood carnitine levels, focusing on free carnitine (FC). Methods This single-center prospective study investigated 20 patients diagnosed with primary head and neck cancer who underwent IC with cisplatin, docetaxel, and 5-fluorouracil. FC, acylcarnitine (AC), and total carnitine (TC) levels were measured before starting therapy and on Days 7 and 21 after starting IC. In addition, malaise was evaluated before and after therapy using a visual analog scale (VAS). Results All subjects were men and the most common primary cancer site was the hypopharynx (9 patients). FC levels before starting therapy and on Days 7 and 21 were 47.7 ± 2.2 μM/mL, 56.7 ± 2.2 μM/mL, and 41.1 ± 1.9 μM/mL, respectively. Compared with the baseline before starting therapy, FC had significantly decreased on Day 21 (p = 0.007). AC levels before starting therapy and on Days 7 and 21 were 12.5 ± 1.2 μM/mL, 13.6 ± 1.4 μM/mL, and 10.7 ± 0.7 μM/mL, respectively. TC levels before starting therapy and on Days 7 and 21 were 60.2 ± 2.5 μM/mL, 70.2 ± 3.3 μM/mL, and 51.7 ± 2.3 μM/mL, respectively. No significant differences in AC, TC or VAS were seen before the start of therapy and on Day 21. Conclusions After IC, a latent decrease in FC occurred without any absolute deficiency or subjective malaise.

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Increasing Mean Age of Head and Neck Cancer Patients at a German Tertiary Referral Center

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13040832 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 832

Author(s):

Julius M. Vahl ◽

Marlene C. Wigand ◽

Michael Denkinger ◽

Dhayana Dallmeier ◽

Chiara Steiger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Head And Neck Cancer ◽

Head And Neck ◽

Neck Cancer ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Tertiary Referral ◽

Tertiary Referral Center ◽

Referral Center ◽

The Impact

Background: The impact of demographic change on the age at diagnosis in German head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is unclear. Here we present an evaluation of aging trends in HNC at a tertiary referral center. Methods: Retrospective cohort study on aging trends at the initial diagnosis of newly diagnosed patients with HNC between 2004 and 2018 at the head and neck cancer center Ulm in relation to demographic data of the catchment area. Results: The study population consisted of 2450 individuals diagnosed with HNC with a mean age of 62.84 (±11.67) years. We observed a significant increase in annual incidence rates and mean age over time. Mean age among HNC patients increased significantly more than among the population in the catchment area. Whereas the incidence rate of patients <50 years did not change, the incidence of HNC patients aged ≥70 years increased the most. The mean patient age in the main tumor sites increased significantly. Surprisingly, HPV-positive patients were not younger than HPV-negative patients, but showed a non-significant trend towards a higher mean age (63.0 vs. 60.7 years). Conclusions: Increasing incidence rates in older patients pose a challenge for health care systems. A nationwide study is needed to assess the dynamics and impact of aging on the incidence of HNC.

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