Table 2.
Features of laryngeal cancer in patients aged ≥40 years: cases (n = 806) and controls (n = 3559)
| Symptoms | Cases, n (%) | Controls, n (%) | Univariate likelihood ratioa (95% CI) | Multivariate ORb (95% CI) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoarseness | 421 (52) | 9 (0.25) | 207 (107 to 398) | 904 (277 to 2945) | <0.001 |
| Sore throat, first attendance | 187 (23) | 81 (2) | 10 (8.0 to 13) | 6.2 (3.7 to 10) | <0.001 |
| Sore throat, second attendance | 84 (10) | 11 (0.3) | 33 (18 to 63) | 7.7 (2.6 to 23) | <0.001 |
| Chest infection, second attendance | 63 (8) | 101 (3) | 2.8 (2.0 to 3.7) | 4.5 (2.4 to 8.5) | <0.001 |
| Dysphagia | 37 (5) | 23 (0.6) | 7.1 (4.3 to 12) | 6.5 (2.7 to 16) | <0.001 |
| Otalgia | 32 (4) | 34 (1) | 4.2 (2.6 to 6.7) | 5.0 (1.9 to 13) | 0.001 |
| Dyspnoea, second attendance | 31 (4) | 53 (1) | 2.6 (1.7 to 4.0) | 4.7 (1.9 to 12) | 0.001 |
| Insomnia | 28 (3) | 59 (2) | 2.1 (1.4 to 3.3) | 2.7 (1.3 to 5.6) | 0.008 |
| Mouth symptoms | 21 (3) | 38 (1) | 2.4 (1.4 to 4.1) | 4.7 (1.8 to 12) | 0.002 |
|
| |||||
| Investigations | |||||
| Raised inflammatory markers | 72 (9) | 155 (4) | 2.1 (1.6 to 2.7) | 2.5 (1.5 to 4.1) | <0.001 |
a
The univariate likelihood ratio, showing the likelihood of a specific symptom being present in a patient with laryngeal cancer, compared with the likelihood of it being present in a patient without cancer.
b
Multivariate conditional logistic regression, containing all 10 variables. CI = confidence interval. OR = odds ratio.