The geriatric-8 screening tool for predicting complications in older adults after surgery for locally advanced head and neck cancer with free flap reconstruction

Purpose Radical surgery with free flap reconstruction for locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) is quite challenging for older adults. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the usefulness of the geriatric-8 (G8) screening tool for predicting postoperative complications in older adults with HNC. Methods A retrospective review of 37 older adults with HNC who underwent radical surgery with free flap reconstruction and were assessed by the G8 screening tool was performed. Postoperative complications during hospitalization were classified according to the Clavien–Dindo classification, and possible contributing factors, including the G8 score, for major and minor complications were subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses. Results The appropriate G8 cut-off value for both major and minor complications was 12 (area under the curve 0.56 and 0.55, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both smoking and lower G8 score (≤ 12) were independently associated with the severity of complications ( p = 0.043, p = 0.034, respectively). Conclusions The G8 was a possible predictor of major and minor complications in older adults with HNC who underwent radical surgery with free flap reconstruction.