{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T20:21:10Z","timestamp":1771014070547,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,19]],"date-time":"2023-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1684454400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Current Oncology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Radiation therapy (RT) treatment for head and neck cancer has been associated with dysphagia manifestation leading to worse outcomes and decrease in life quality. In this study, we investigated factors leading to dysphagia and treatment prolongation in patients with primaries arising from oral cavity or oropharynx that were submitted to radiation therapy concurrently with chemotherapy. The records of patients with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer that received RT treatment to the primary and bilateral neck lymph nodes concurrently with chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the potential correlation between explanatory variables and the primary (dysphagia \u2265 2) and secondary (prolongation of total treatment duration \u2265 7 days) outcomes of interest. The Toxicity Criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) were used to evaluate dysphagia. A total of 160 patients were included in the study. Age mean was 63.31 (SD = 8.24). Dysphagia grade \u2265 2 was observed in 76 (47.5%) patients, while 32 (20%) experienced treatment prolongation \u2265 7 days. The logistic regression analysis showed that the volume in the primary site of disease that received dose \u2265 60 Gy (\u2265118.75 cc, p &lt; 0.001, (OR = 8.43, 95% CI [3.51\u201320.26]) and mean dose to the pharyngeal constrictor muscles &gt; 40.6 Gy (p &lt; 0.001, OR = 11.58, 95% CI [4.84\u201327.71]) were significantly associated with dysphagia grade \u2265 2. Treatment prolongation \u2265 7 days was predicted by higher age (p = 0.007, OR = 1.079, 95% CI [1.021\u20131.140]) and development of grade \u2265 2 dysphagia (p = 0.005, OR = 4.02, 95% CI [1.53\u201310.53]). In patients with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer that receive bilateral neck irradiation concurrently with chemotherapy, constrictors mean dose and the volume in the primary site receiving \u2265 60 Gy should be kept below 40.6 Gy and 118.75 cc, respectively, whenever possible. Elderly patients or those that are considered at high risk for dysphagia manifestation are more likely to experience treatment prolongation \u2265 7 days and they should be closely monitored during treatment course for nutritional support and pain management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/curroncol30050391","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,19]],"date-time":"2023-05-19T10:35:11Z","timestamp":1684492511000},"page":"5168-5178","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Investigating Predictive Factors of Dysphagia and Treatment Prolongation in Patients with Oral Cavity or Oropharyngeal Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy Concurrently with Chemotherapy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Petros","family":"Alexidis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiation Oncologist, Department of Radiation Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9971-668X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pavlos","family":"Kolias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Statistics and Operational Research, Department of Mathematics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vaia","family":"Mentesidou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Oncology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Topalidou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiation Oncologist, Department of Radiation Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Efstathios","family":"Kamperis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiation Oncologist, Department of Radiation Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vasileios","family":"Giannouzakos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiation Oncologist, Department of Radiation Oncology, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0556-3163","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantinos","family":"Efthymiadis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Oncology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Petros","family":"Bangeas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1st University Surgery Department, Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2545-8926","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eleni","family":"Timotheadou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Oncologist, Medical Oncology Clinic Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"780","DOI":"10.1038\/s41415-022-5166-x","article-title":"Reviewing the epidemiology of head and neck cancer: Definitions, trends and risk factors","volume":"233","author":"Gormley","year":"2022","journal-title":"Br. 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