Baseline characteristics of included patientsa
| Variable | N = 52 |
|---|---|
| Age (mean) (yr) | 60 (SD, 14) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 37 (71.2) |
| Female | 15 (28.8) |
| Diagnosis | |
| Head and neck malignancies | 50 (94.3) |
| Buccal | 1 (1.9) |
| Floor of mouth | 1 (1.9) |
| Vocal cord | 10 (19.2) |
| Supraglottis | 1 (1.9) |
| Hypopharynx | 7 (13.5) |
| Salivary gland | 6 (11.5) |
| Tongue | 13 (25.0) |
| Tonsil | 10 (19.2) |
| Other malignancies | 3 (5.7) |
| Primary lesion visible | |
| Yes | 10 (19.2) |
| No | 42 (80.8) |
| Postoperative state | |
| Yes | 45 (86.5) |
| No | 7 (13.5) |
↵a All values are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise specified.