Obstructive sleep apnea and head and neck neoplasms

Roy Rada

doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2004.12.002

Obstructive sleep apnea and head and neck neoplasms

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005 May;132(5):794-9. doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2004.12.002.

Author

Roy Rada¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Information Systems, 1000 Hilltop Circle, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. rada@umbc.edu

PMID: 15886637
DOI: 10.1016/j.otohns.2004.12.002

Abstract

Objective: To elaborate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and head and neck neoplasms (HNN).

Study design and setting: A systematic review of the MEDLINE literature.

Results: Thirty of 34 articles indexed under OSA and HNN were about neoplasms that presented first as OSA. Four of the articles were about treatment of HNN causing OSA and gave incidences varying from 8% to 92%. Quality of life surveys confirm that patients with malignant HNN have sleep problems. Xerostomia may contribute to these sleep problems, and the role of salivary mucins deserves consideration.

Conclusions: This review of the literature raises several new research questions about the clinical and biological relationships between OSA and HNN.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Comorbidity
Head and Neck Neoplasms / complications
Head and Neck Neoplasms / epidemiology*
Head and Neck Neoplasms / therapy
Humans
Quality of Life
Salivary Glands / radiation effects
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / epidemiology*
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / etiology
Xerostomia / epidemiology