Association between the Processed Dietary Pattern and Tumor Staging in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the association between dietary patterns and tumor staging and the degree of cell differentiation in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 136 individuals newly diagnosed with different stages of HNSCC, aged 20- to 80 years-old. Dietary patterns were determined by principal component analysis (PCA), using data collected from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Anthropometric, lifestyle, and clinicopathological data were collected from patients’ medical records. Disease staging was categorized as initial stage (stages I and II), intermediary (stage III), and advanced (stage IV). Cell differentiation was categorized as poor, moderate, or well-differentiated. The association of dietary patterns with tumor staging and cell differentiation was evaluated using multinomial logistic regression models and adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Three dietary patterns, “healthy,” “processed,” and “mixed,” were identified. The “processed” dietary pattern was associated with intermediary (odds ratio (OR) 2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–4.26; p = 0.001) and advanced (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.12–2.84; p = 0.015) staging. No association was found between dietary patterns and cell differentiation. Conclusion: A high adherence to dietary patterns based on processed foods is associated with advanced tumor staging in patients newly diagnosed with HNSCC.