Table 3 Management characteristics for the three patient groups

Type of Surgery

 Transoral Laser

28 (66.7%)

6 (26.1%)

21 (65.6%)

<0.0001

 Transoral Bovie

9 (21.4%)

1 (4.3%)

10 (31.3%)

 Other*

5 (11.9%)

16 (69.6%)

1 (3.1%)

Margins

 Positive

4 (10.0%)

3 (13.6%)

4 (13.8%)

0.85

 Negative or < 5 mm

36 (90.0%)

19 (86.4%)

25 (86.2%)

Chemotherapy

 Yes

12 (28.6%)

14 (56.0%)

20 (62.5%)

0.0050

 No

30 (71.4%)

9 (44.0%)

12 (37.5%)

Time from Surgery to Completion of RT (days)

 Median (range)

91 (74 – 135)

107 (85 – 140)

92 (81 – 144)

0.0008

Duration of feeding tube (mo)

 Median (range)

N/A

7.27 (3.91 – 40.53)

5.1 (1.68 – 22.96)

0.069

Was feeding tube permanent?

 Yes

N/A

12 (52.2%)

5 (16.1%)

0.0075

 No

N/A

11 (47.8%)

26 (83.9%)

Cause of Death

 Locoregional Disease

0 (0%)

2 (15.4%)

0 (0%)

0.36

 Distant Metastatic Disease

3 (60%)

1 (7.7%)

2 (33.3%)

 Second Primary

1 (20%)

5 (38.5%)

3 (50%)

 All Other Causes

1 (20%)

5 (38.5%)

1 (16.7%)