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International Symposium

Head and Neck Surgery

Frailty and Sarcopenia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Sunday, September 29, 2024
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM EDT
Location: MBCC, Ocean Drive B
CME/MOC Credit: 1
Disclosure(s):
Gyorgy B. Halmos, MD, PhD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Inge Wegner, MD, PhD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Martine F. Van Der Kamp, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: More than half of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is diagnosed aged 60 years or older and the number of patients in this age group is increasing. Typically, HNC patients exhibit higher ‘biological age’ or ‘frailty status’, and frequently present with multiple comorbidities due to their unhealthy lifestyle. Losing muscles mass and strength, i.e., sarcopenia is a physiological process; however, it occurs frequently in chronic diseases, like malignancies. In head and neck cancer patients, sarcopenia is prominent.
Pretreatment geriatric assessment (GA) of HNC patients has several advantages; it may be beneficial for shared decision making, initiating pretreatment optimalization of the patients (prehabilitation), adjusting treatment plan and predicting treatment outcome. Early treatment initiation is crucial in HNC due to the fast-growing character of these malignancies. It is challenging to incorporate GA in the care pathway without causing treatment delay. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), as determined on CT- or MRI neck scans, has been proven to be a fast, objective, and practical biomarker for frailty status in HNC patients. Furthermore, sarcopenia has been associated with increased rates of postoperative complications, chemoradiotherapy toxicity and mortality in HNC patients.
This symposium aims to summarize our current knowledge of frailty and sarcopenia in HNC. Beside summarizing the current literature on this topic, the clinical applicability of geriatric assessment and SMI measurement will be discussed. Recommendations will be given for optimal integration of these assessments in the care pathway.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Have up-to-date knowledge about the geriatric aspects of head and neck cancer.
  2. Take note of the additional value of determining SMI using different imaging techniques as a surrogate for frailty screening in elderly and/or potentially frail HNC patient.
  3. Integrate geriatric screening and sarcopenia assessment in the care pathway of head and neck cancer patients.

    Panelist(s)

  • Gyorgy B. Halmos, MD, PhD

    Associate Professor
    University Medical Center Groningen
    Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • Martine F. Van Der Kamp, MD

    PhD candidate and resident Otolaryngology
    University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
    Zwolle, Netherlands

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.