Table 1.

Patient Cohort Demographics.

Patient Demographics	No fistula (n = 43) count (%)	Fistula (n = 10) count (%)	All (n = 53) count (%)	P value
Age
Mean (years)	63.7 ± 8.9	60.6 ± ± 7.9	63.0 ± 8.7	.313
Sex
Male	30 (69.8%)	8 (80%)	38 (71.7%)	.71
Female	13 (30.2%)	2 (20%)	15 (28.3%)
Tobacco
Never	6 (14%)	2 (20%)	8 (15.1%)
Former	28 (65.1%)	5 (50%)	33 (62.3%)	.30
Current	8 (18.6%)	3 (30%)	11 (20.8%)
Unavailable	1 (2.3%)	0	1 (1.9%)
ETOH
No	27 (62.7%)	8 (80%)	35 (66%)
Yes	10 (23.3%)	1(10%)	11 (20.8%)	.56
Unavailable	6 (14%)	1 (10%)	7 (13.2%)
HPV
Negative	11 (25.6%)	1 (10%)	12 (22.6%)	.119
Positive	10 (23.2%)	5 (50%)	15 (28.3%)
Unavailable	22 (51.2%)	4 (40%)	26 (49.1%)
BMI
Mean	24.4 ± 4.8	25.4 ± 7.1	24.6 ± 5.24	.59
Initial radiation
Definitive	34	8	42 (79.2%)	.91
Adjunctive	9	2	11 (20.8%)
Initial chemotherapy
No	15 (34.9%)	4 (40%)	19 (35.8%)	1.0
Yes	28 (65.1%)	6 (60%)	34 (64.2%)
Primary neck dissection
No	27 (62.8%)	4 (40%)	31 (58.5%)	.45
Yes	16 (37.2%)	6 (60%)	22 (41.5%)
Primary neck dissection on side of recurrence
No	29 (67.4%)	6 (60%)	35 (66.0%)
Yes	14 (32.6%)	4 (40%)	18 (34.0%)	.72
Time to recurrence
Mean (years)	5.0 ± 5	3.5 ± 2.7	4.7 ± 4.6	.37
Resection sites
Oropharyngectomy alone	16 (37.2%)	3 (30%)	19 (35.8%)	.88
Additional partial/total glossectomy	13 (30.2%)	3 (30%)	16 (30.2%)
Additional laryngectomy	14 (32.6%)	4 (40%)	18 (34%)
Free flap
No	9 (20.9%)	5 (50%)	14 (26.4%)	.10
Yes	34 (79.1%)	5 (50%)	39 (73.6%)
Recurrence T classification
T1	9 (20.9%)	1 (10%)	10 (18.9%)
T2	4 (9.3%)	2 (20%)	6 (11.3%)	.72
T3	4 (9.3%)	1 (10%)	5 (9.4%)
T4	26 (60.55%)	6 (60%)	32 (60.4%)
Recurrence N classification
N0	28 (65.1%)	6 (60%)	34 (64.2%)
N1	12 (27.9%)	2 (20%)	14 (26.4%)	.31
N2	3 (7%)	1 (10%)	4 (7.6%)
N3	0	1 (10%)	1 (1.9%)
Recurrence stage
1	10 (23.2%)	2 (20%)	12 (22.7%)
2	3 (7%)	1 (10%)	4 (7.5%)	.49
3	4 (9.3%)	1 (10%)	5 (9.4%)
4	26 (60.5%)	6 (60%)	32 (60.4%)

Abbreviations: HPV, human papilloma virus; T3, triiodothyronine; T4, thyroxine.