Existing Ailments 'Affect Cancer Survival'
The current survival statistics for head and neck cancer patients have been called 'inaccurate' in a new study, as they do not account for the impact of existing ailments.
Research leader Dr Jay Piccirillo, director of the Clinical Outcomes Research Office at Washington University School of Medicine and professor of otolaryngology, found that in fact the mortality rate could be up to seven times higher, when co-existing basic health problems in patients are factored into the equation.
Medical conditions developing after diagnosis shown to negatively impact on survival rates by the study include diabetes, lung conditions and heart problems.
Mr Piccirillo claims the research could be applied to further varieties of cancer, the survival statistics of which generally do not include the effect of co-existing problems with basic health.
Current survival rate estimates take into account the spread of the disease, tumour size and lymph node involvement, but not the so-called 'comorbidities'.
The research examined the records of 183 patients suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, throat and larynx from 1997 and 1998.
Of those studied, 33 per cent were shown to develop comorbidities or experience a worsening of pre-existing ailments following diagnosis, which placed them at up to a 6.7 times greater risk of dying than the national average.
Recent research into breast cancer at Imperial College, London, UK, has shown that ethnic origin may be an influential factor in the physical responses of patients to different cancer treatments.
