Table 1 Demographics of HNSCC patients enrolled in the study.

Patients matching the inclusion criteria (n = 39) were enrolled in the study. ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status describes how the disease affects the daily living abilities of the patient. For evaluating smoking status, pack years are calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked. Tumor stage from T1 to T4 refers to the size and extent of the tumors. The involvement of regional lymph nodes is referred by N1 to N3 depending on the number and location of the lymph nodes involved. N0 denotes absence of cancer in the regional lymph nodes.