Logo image
Factors Associated With the Choice of Radiation Therapy Treatment Facility in Head and Neck Cancer
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Factors Associated With the Choice of Radiation Therapy Treatment Facility in Head and Neck Cancer

Christopher B. Sullivan, Zaid Al-Qurayshi, Carryn M. Anderson, Aaron T. Seaman and Nitin A. Pagedar
The Laryngoscope, Vol.131(5), pp.1019-1025
05/01/2021
DOI: 10.1002/lary.29033
PMCID: PMC7907264
PMID: 32846018
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7907264View
Open Access

Abstract

Objective To analyze the clinicodemographic characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients receiving postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) at a different treatment facility rather than the initial surgical facility for head and neck cancer. Study Design:Retrospective cohort analysis. Methods Utilizing the National Cancer Data Base, 2004 to 2015, patients with a diagnosis of oral cavity/oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were studied. Multivariate analysis was completed with multivariate regression and Cox proportional hazard model, and survival outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results A total of 15,181 patients who had surgery for a head and neck cancer at an academic/research center were included in the study population. Of the study population, 4,890 (32.2%) patients completed PORT at a different treatment facility. Treatment at a different facility was more common among patients who were >= 65 years old, white, Medicare recipients, those with a greater distance between residence and surgical treatment facility, and with lower income within area of residence (eachP < .05). Overall survival was worse in patients completing PORT at a different treatment facility versus at the institution where surgery was completed (61.9% vs. 66.4%;P= .002). Conclusions PORT at a different facility was more common in older individuals, Medicare recipients, those with greater distance to travel, and lower-income individuals. Completing PORT outside the hospital where surgery was performed was associated with inferior survival outcomes among head and neck cancer patients. Level of Evidence 3Laryngoscope, 2020
Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, Research & Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Research & Experimental Medicine Science & Technology

Details

Metrics

Logo image