Neurologic sequelae following radiation with and without chemotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer: Patient reported outcomes study

Background There is little data describing neurocognitive late sequelae in patients treated for oropharyngeal cancer. Methods Using PROs, scores for "numbness/tingling" and "difficulty remembering" were assessed. Wilcoxon testing was utilized to compare mean assessment scores (1-10) between treatment subgroups. Results Four-hundred ninety-seven patients were evaluated and 267 (54%) received chemotherapy. The mean score for numbness/tingling for patients receiving radiation alone was 0.99 and for each chemotherapy subgroup were: Induction chemotherapy (IC), 1.35 (n = 99); concurrent chemotherapy (CCRT), 1.04 (n = 111) and IC + CCRT, 2.48 (n = 57); 30% of patients who received IC + CCRT had scores >= 5. The mean scores for difficulty remembering were XRT: 1.44, chemotherapy: 1.45, and IC + CCRT subgroup: 2.42. Conclusions The symptom burden related to peripheral neuropathy and cognitive complaints was minimal. A minority of patients reported high burdens. Particularly, 30% of patients receiving IC + CCRT described moderate to severe numbness/tingling.