111 6 Table 1. Baseline characteristics of patients with HNC that performed the MAT based on all patients, and subgroups of patients based on tumor site CRT: Chemoradiotherapy, IQR: Interquartile range, n: number of patients, RT: Radiotherapy *: p<0.05, †: Kruskal-Wallis H test, ‡: chi-square test LMM analysis showed that the MAT score increased 3 and 6 months after treatment, indicating a worse masticatory function. The MAT returned to baseline values 12 and 24 months after treatment (Figure 2a). Sex was not associated with the MAT score, and was therefore removed from the model. The MAT score was associated with age, tumor stage, tumor site, and timing of assessment, and the interaction between timing of assessment and tumor site appeared of importance (Table 2). With increasing age, the MAT score increased as well (+0.08 each year, p-value=0.008). Patients with tumor stage 1 and 2 had a lower MAT score in comparison to patients with stage 4 tumors (MAT score=-2.63, pvalue=0.001 and MAT score=-1.97, p-value=0.018, respectively). After treatment, the MAT score increased with 2.14 (M3) (p-value=<0.001) and 1.49 (M6) (p-value=0.014), and returned to baseline 1 year after treatment. The longitudinal course of MAT differed between tumor sites (Figure 2b). The cut-off score was used to develop a ROC curve indicating masticatory dysfunction before and after treatment in patients with HNC (appendix 1). The formula for the estimated MAT that was retained in the final model is shown in the footnote of Table 2. Tumor site All patients (n = 125) Oropharynx (n = 48) Larynx and hypopharynx (n = 42) Oral cavity (n = 35) p-value Variable median (IQR) median (IQR) median (IQR) median (IQR) Age 63.0 (15.0) 59.0 (14.5) 64 (12.5) 64 (18) 0.142† Sex n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) 0.030*‡ Male 97 (77.6) 36 (75.0) 38 (90.5) 23 (65.7) Female 28 (22.4) 12 (25.0) 4 (9.5) 12 (34.3) Primary treatment <0.001*‡ RT 55 (44.0) 23 (47.9) 31 (73.8) 1 (2.9) CRT 31 (24.8) 24 (50.0) 6 (14.3) 1 (2.9) Surgery 25 (20.0) 1 (2.1) 4 (9.5) 20 (57.1) Surgery with (C)RT 14 (11.2) 0 1 (2.4) 13 (37.1) Tumor stage 0.001*‡ I 34 (27.2) 3 (6.3) 18 (42.8) 13 (37.1) II 26 (20.8) 10 (20.8) 7 (16.7) 9 (25.7) III 15 (12.0) 6 (12.5) 6 (14.3) 3 (8.6) IV 50 (40.0) 29 (60.4) 11 (26.2) 10 (28.6) Tumor site Oropharynx 48 (38.4) Larynx and Hypopharynx 42 (33.6) Oral cavity 35 (28.0)
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