Table 1 Patient characteristics, univariable, and multivariable analyses

Total

656

Sex (female)

179 (27.3)

0

1.0

Male

477 (72.7)

1.04 (0.88; 1.24)

0.6402

Age

65.4 (11.0)

0

0.99 (0.99; 1.00)

0.0412

Reason palliative phase

(incurable tumor)

574 (87.5)

0

1.0

-

Refusal of curative treatment

82 (12.5)

0.82 (0.65; 1.03)

0.0895

Localisation (Oropharynx)

215 (32.8)

0

1.0

-

Oral cavity

168 (25.6)

1.09 (0.89; 1.34)

0.4139

Hypopharynx

114 (17.4)

0.90 (0.72; 1.13)

0.3762

Nasopharynx

21 (3.2)

0.90 (0.58; 1.41)

0.6515

Supraglottic larynx

68 (10.4)

1.03 (0.78; 1.35)

0.8570

Glottic larynx

42 (6.4)

1.16 (0.83; 1.62)

0.3753

Unknown primary

28 (4.3)

0.97 (0.66; 1.44)

0.8843

No. previous HNSCC (0)

223 (34.0)

0

1.0

-

1

305 (46.5)

1.42 (1.19; 1.70)

< 0.0001

2

106 (16.2)

1.31 (1.03; 1.65)

0.0249

3 / 4

22 (3.4)

1.48 (0.95; 2.29)

0.0821

Tumor stage (Stage I)

8 (1.2)

1 (0.2)

-

Stage II

16 (2.4)

-

Stage III

48 (7.3)

-

Stage IVA

198 (30.2)

-

Stage IVB

84 (12.8)

-

Stage IVC

301 (46.0)

-

Tumor type (primary)

242 (36.9)

0

1.0

Recurrent

348 (53.0)

1.34 (1.13; 1.58)

0.0006

Residual

66 (10.1)

1.50 (1.14; 1.97)

0.0039

cT (0)

237 (36.2)

1 (0.2)

1.0

1

24 (3.7)

0.58 (0.37; 0.88)

0.0111

2

51 (7.8)

0.59 (0.43; 0.80)

0.0008

3

74 (11.3)

0.81 (0.62; 1.05)

0.1092

4

269 (41.1)

0.97 (0.82; 1.16)

0.7739

cN (0)

332 (50.8)

2 (0.3)

1.0

-

1

67 (10.2)

1.01 (0.78; 1.32)

0.9218

2

214 (32.7)

1.02 (0.86; 1.22)

0.7814

3

41 (6.3)

0.92 (0.66; 1.28)

0.6172

cM (0)

353 (54.0)

2 (0.3)

1.0

-

1

301 (46.0)

1.23 (1.06; 1.44)

0.0080

ACE-27 (0)

60 (9.1)

0

1.0

-

1

80 (12.2)

0.83 (0.59; 1.17)

0.2870

2

311 (47.4)

1.26 (0.96; 1.67)

0.0990

3

205 (31.3)

1.48 (1.11; 1.98)

0.0080

Smoking (current)

258 (44.1)

71 (10.8)

1.0

-

former

262 (44.8)

0.95 (0.80; 1.12)

0.5326

non-smoker

65 (11.1)

0.78 (0.59; 1.03)

0.0847

Pack years

39.0 (22.0–50.0)

217 (33.1)

1.002 (0.998; 1.005)

0.2239

Alcohol (current)

268 (50.6)

126 (19.2)

1.0

-

former

163 (30.8)

1.05 (0.87; 1.26)

0.6252

non-drinker

99 (18.7)

0.88 (0.69; 1.13)

0.3332

No. alcohol units per week

14.0 (2.0–35.0)

223 (34.0)

-

Body Mass Index

22.1 (4.4)

126 (19.2)

0.972 (0.948; 0.997)

0.0266

Weight loss in the 6 months before diagnosis kg*

5.0 (0.0–9.0)

157 (23.9)

1.03 (1.02; 1.04)

< 0.0001

WHO performance (0)

92 (16.2)

89 (13.6)

1.0

1

261 (46.0)

1.54 (1.21; 1.96)

0.0005

2

130 (22.9)

1.79 (1.37; 2.34)

< 0.0001

3 / 4

84 (14.8)

3.68 (2.65; 5.11)

< 0.0001

Marital status (alone)

265 (41.3)

14 (2.1)

1.0

married/together

377 (58.7)

1.03 (0.88; 1.20)

0.7544

Serum Hemoglobin mmol/L **

7.7 (1.3)

409 (62.3)

-

Internally validated C index