Background: The aim of the current study is to perform an external validation of the prognostic capacity of the H-index in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
Methods: Retrospective study of 835 patients with HNSCC located in the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx.
Results: When applying the cutoffs proposed in the original description of the H-index (1.5 and 3.5), we observed an orderly and significant decrease in the disease-specific survival and overall survival as H-index increased. Additionally, we were able to observe a decrease in survival as the H-index increased regardless of the location, the extension of the tumor or the type of treatment performed.
Conclusion: We have validated the prognostic capacity of the H-index in patients with HNSCC regardless of the location of the primary tumor, the extent of the disease, or the type of treatment performed.
Keywords: H-index; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; host index; peripheral blood; prognostic factors.
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