ABSTRACT
The present TNM system of cancer classification for tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx is based solely on tumor morphology and does not consider important patient-based prognostic factors, such as age, gender, race, and severity of coexisting diseases, illnesses, or conditions1-7, generally referred to as comorbidity. Many patients with head and neck cancer often have comorbidities in addition to their index cancer.This chapter addresses an important feature of prognosis in head and neck cancer: patient-related factors. These are prognostic factors that are unique to the patient and not to the cancer itself.
