Examining the Relationship of Immunotherapy and Wound Complications Following Flap Reconstruction in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Overview

Journal Head Neck

Specialties General Surgery
Oncology

Date 2021 Jan 8

PMID 33417293

Citations 9

Authors

Ashley C Mays

Bharat Yarlagadda

Virginie Achim

Ryan Jackson

Patrik Pipkorn

Andrew T Huang

Karthik Rajasekaran

Shaum Sridharan

Andrew J Rosko

Ryan K Orosco

Andrew M Coughlin

Mark K Wax

Yelizaveta Shnayder

William C Spanos

Donald Gregory Farwell

Lee S McDaniel

Matthew M Hanasono

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Immunotherapy agents are used to treat advanced head and neck lesions. We aim to elucidate relationship between immunotherapy and surgical wound complications.

Methods: Retrospective multi-institutional case series evaluating patients undergoing ablative and flap reconstructive surgery and immunotherapy treatment.

Main Outcome: wound complications.

Results: Eight-two (62%) patients received preoperative therapy, 89 (67%) postoperative, and 33 (25%) in both settings. Forty-one (31%) patients had recipient site complications, 12 (9%) had donor site. Nineteen (14%) had major recipient site complications, 22 (17%) had minor. There was no statistically significant difference in complications based on patient or tumor-specific variables. Preoperative therapy alone demonstrated increased major complications (odds ratio [OR] 3.7, p = 0.04), and trend to more donor site complications (OR 7.4, p = 0.06), however treatment in both preoperative and postoperative therapy was not.

Conclusions: Preoperative immunotherapy may be associated with increased wound complications. Controlled studies are necessary to delineate this association and potential risks of therapy.

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