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Decreased cancer‐independent life expectancy in the head and neck cancer population
Author(s) -
Massa Sean T.,
Cass Lauren M.,
OsazuwaPeters Nosayaba,
Christopher Kara M.,
Walker Ronald J.,
Varvares Mark A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.24850
Subject(s) - life expectancy , medicine , years of potential life lost , cancer , proportional hazards model , population , head and neck cancer , survivorship curve , epidemiology , demography , hazard ratio , gerontology , surgery , environmental health , confidence interval , sociology
Background Aside from cancer mortality, patients with head and neck cancer have increased mortality risk. Identifying patients with the greatest loss of cancer‐independent life expectancy can guide comprehensive survivorship programs. Methods Age‐based survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database for patients with head and neck cancer were censored for mortality from the index cancer. Life expectancy and years of life lost (YLL) referenced to the general population were calculated. Cox proportional regression models produced hazard ratios (HRs). Results Cancer‐independent life expectancy for patients with head and neck cancer is 6.5 years shorter than expected. The greatest hazard and impact of other‐cause mortality was associated with black race (HR 1.23; YLL 8.55), stage IV (HR 1.60; YLL 7.92), Medicaid (HR 1.55; YLL 12.9), and previous marriage (HR 1.49; YLL 11.4). Conclusion Patients with head and neck cancer lives are foreshortened independent of their cancer diagnosis necessitating management of noncancer mortality to maximize overall survival.