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The geriatric-8 screening tool for predicting complications in older adults after surgery for locally advanced head and neck cancer with free flap reconstruction

  • Head and Neck
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Radical surgery with free flap reconstruction for locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) is quite challenging for older adults. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the usefulness of the geriatric-8 (G8) screening tool for predicting postoperative complications in older adults with HNC.

Methods

A retrospective review of 37 older adults with HNC who underwent radical surgery with free flap reconstruction and were assessed by the G8 screening tool was performed. Postoperative complications during hospitalization were classified according to the Clavien–Dindo classification, and possible contributing factors, including the G8 score, for major and minor complications were subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

The appropriate G8 cut-off value for both major and minor complications was 12 (area under the curve 0.56 and 0.55, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both smoking and lower G8 score (≤ 12) were independently associated with the severity of complications (p = 0.043, p = 0.034, respectively).

Conclusions

The G8 was a possible predictor of major and minor complications in older adults with HNC who underwent radical surgery with free flap reconstruction.

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Availability of data and material

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

HNC:

Head and neck cancer

CGA:

Comprehensive geriatric assessment

G8:

Geriatric-8

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Funding

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aids for Scientific Research from JSPS grant no. 19K18720.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan

    Yuki Nakayama, Akira Ohkoshi, Ryo Ishii, Kenjiro Higashi, Ayako Nakanome & Yukio Katori

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu City, 501-1193, Japan

    Takenori Ogawa

Authors
  1. Yuki Nakayama
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  2. Akira Ohkoshi
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  3. Ryo Ishii
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  5. Ayako Nakanome
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  6. Takenori Ogawa
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  7. Yukio Katori
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Correspondence to Akira Ohkoshi.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Tohoku University School of Medicine research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Nakayama, Y., Ohkoshi, A., Ishii, R. et al. The geriatric-8 screening tool for predicting complications in older adults after surgery for locally advanced head and neck cancer with free flap reconstruction. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 2565–2571 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-021-07038-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-021-07038-3

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