Does feeding tube placement predict for long-term swallowing disability after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer?

Purpose. To evaluate feeding tube use. Materials and Methods. Nine hundred thirty-four patients were treated with radiotherapy (FIT). Results. Feeding tubes were placed in 235 patients (25%): 212 patients (22.5%) for acute toxicity, 18 patients (2%) for late effects, and 5 patients (0.5%) for both. Median duration of tube dependence for acute toxicity was 3.8 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that feeding tube placement for acute toxicity was increased with higher FIT dose (p < .0001), adjuvant chemotherapy (p = .0002), advanced age (p = .0002), and the presence of neck disease (p = .0045). The risk of a feeding tube for late effects was 2% at 5 years. The likelihood of feeding tube placement for late effects was greater for women (p = .0293), higher FIT dose (p = .0345), and primary sites, including the hypopharynx and multiple synchronous primary tumors (p = .0360). Feeding tube placement for late effects was unrelated to tube placement for acute toxicity. Conclusion. Likelihood of long-term feeding tube dependence was low and unrelated to placement for acute effects. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.