Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the two study groups.
| Baseline characteristics | INC | ODC | p-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients (%) | 26 (45) | 32 (55) | |
| Age y, median (IQ range) | 57 (52–64) | 61 (56–64) | 0.320 |
| ≥65 y, n (%) | 6 (23) | 7 (22) | 0.365 |
| Males, n (%) | 21 (81) | 25 (78) | 0.412 |
| BMI, kg/m2, n (%) | |||
| <20 | 3 (12) | 6 (19) | 0.095 |
| 20–25 | 9 (35) | 15 (47) | 0.089 |
| >25 | 14 (54) | 11 (34) | 0.869 |
| Malnourished (PG-SGA BC), n (%) | 7 (27) | 14 (44) | 0.039 |
| PEG, n (%) | 20 (78) | 31 (97) | 0.002 |
| Tumor location, n (%) | |||
| Oral cavity | 3 (12) | 3 (9) | 0.363 |
| Oropharynx | 11 (43) | 13 (41) | 0.399 |
| Hypopharynx | 4 (15) | 5 (16) | 0.292 |
| Larynx | 5 (19) | 7 (22) | 0.236 |
| Nasopharynx | 2 (8) | 4 (12) | 0.106 |
| Unknown | 1 (4) | – | |
| Stage, n (%) | |||
| I | 1 (4) | 1(3) | 0.190 |
| II | 2 (8) | 4 (12) | 0.106 |
| III | 6 (23) | 6 (19) | 0.475 |
| IV | 16 (62) | 21 (66) | 0.237 |
| Unknown | 1 (4) | – | |
| Stage III–IV, n (%) | 22 (85) | 27 (84) | 0.309 |
| T Class, n (%) | |||
| T1 | 7 (27) | 4 (12) | 0.816 |
| T2 | 7 (27) | 8 (25) | 0.395 |
| T3 | 6 (23) | 8 (25) | 0.269 |
| T4 | 5 (19) | 12 (38) | 0.022 |
| Unknown | 1 (4) | – | |
| N Class, n (%) | |||
| N0 | 9 (35) | 11(34) | 0.352 |
| N1 | 3 (12) | 3 (9) | 0.363 |
| N2 | 13 (50) | 18 (56) | 0.196 |
| N3 | 1 (4) | – | |
| Treatment plan, n (%) | |||
| Surgery + chemoradiotherapy | 6 (23) | 5 (16) | 0.593 |
| Surgery + radiotherapy | 1 (4) | 1 (3) | 0.190 |
| Chemoradiotherapy | 16 (61) | 25 (78) | 0.036 |
| Radiotherapy | 3 (12) | 1 (3) | 0.688 |
| Smoking, pack years, n (%) | 17.5 (1–36) | 37.6 (12–54) | 0.013 |
| Alcohol, drinks per week, n (%) | 2.5 (1–9) | 9 (1–21) | 0.088 |
IQ interquartile, BMI body mass index, PG-SGA, patient generated subjective global assessment; T, tumor; N, node; PEG, percutaneous gastrostomy; INC, intensive nutrition counseling; ODC, on-demand nutritional counseling. Data expressed as median (interquartile range) or number (%).
a
p-value Mann-Whitney or X2 test between INC and ODC group.