Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Jun;42(6):1218-1226.
doi: 10.1002/hed.26217. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Respiratory and pulmonary complications in head and neck cancer patients: Evidence-based review for the COVID-19 era

Dustin A Silverman  1 , Chen Lin  1 , Akina Tamaki  1 , Sidharth V Puram  2 , Ricardo L Carrau  1 , Nolan B Seim  1 , Antoine Eskander  3 , James W Rocco  1 , Matthew O Old  1 , Stephen Y Kang  1
Affiliations
Review

Respiratory and pulmonary complications in head and neck cancer patients: Evidence-based review for the COVID-19 era

Dustin A Silverman et al. Head Neck. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary complications and infections frequently affect patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Common characteristics can predispose these patients to the development of severe respiratory illness, which may be particularly relevant during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: A scoping review was performed to assess the impact of pulmonary comorbidities and adverse respiratory outcomes in HNSCC patients.

Results: Advanced age, history of tobacco and alcohol abuse, and cardiopulmonary comorbidities are significant risk factors for the development of adverse respiratory outcomes. Treatment toxicities from radiation or chemoradiation therapy significantly increase these risks.

Conclusion: Respiratory complications are a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality among HNSCC patients, and the COVID-19 pandemic may disproportionately affect this population. Interventions designed to decrease smoking and alcohol use, improve oral hygiene, and aggressively manage medical comorbidities are important to the long-term management and health of these patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; adverse respiratory outcomes; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); pulmonary comorbidities; respiratory infections and complications.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Antoine Eskander MD, ScM is a paid consultant for Bristol‐Myers and has received research support from Merck. All the remaining authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Comment in

References

    1. Liang W, Guan W, Chen R, et al. Cancer patients in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection: a nationwide analysis in China. Lancet Oncol. 2020;21(3):335‐337. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zhang L, Zhu F, Xie L, et al. Clinical characteristics of COVID‐19‐infected cancer patients: a retrospective case study in three hospitals within Wuhan, China. Ann Oncol. 2020. 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.03.296. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baxi SS, Pinheiro LC, Patil SM, Pfister DG, Oeffinger KC, Elkin EB. Causes of death in long‐term survivors of head and neck cancer. Cancer. 2014;120(10):1507‐1513. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ferrier MB, Spuesens EB, Le Cessie S, de Jong RJB. Comorbidity as a major risk factor for mortality and complications in head and neck surgery. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;131(1):27‐32. - PubMed
    1. Francis DO, Weymuller EA Jr, Parvathaneni U, Merati AL, Yueh B. Dysphagia, stricture, and pneumonia in head and neck cancer patients: does treatment modality matter? Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2010;119(6):391‐397. - PubMed

MeSH terms