Premium
Factors Associated With the Choice of Radiation Therapy Treatment Facility in Head and Neck Cancer
Author(s) -
Sullivan Christopher B.,
AlQurayshi Zaid,
Anderson Carryn M.,
Seaman Aaron T.,
Pagedar Nitin A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.29033
Subject(s) - medicine , head and neck cancer , multivariate analysis , retrospective cohort study , cancer , population , proportional hazards model , cohort , surgery , hazard ratio , port (circuit theory) , radiation therapy , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , confidence interval , environmental health , electrical engineering , engineering
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 (each P < .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 3 Laryngoscope , 131:1019–1025, 2021