Association of Type of Treatment Facility With Overall Survival After a Diagnosis of Head and Neck Cancer.

IMPORTANCE

Patients with head and neck cancer receive care at academic comprehensive cancer programs (ACCPs), integrated network cancer programs (INCPs), comprehensive community cancer programs (CCCPs), and community cancer programs (CCPs). The type of treatment facility may be associated with overall survival.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether type of treatment facility is associated with overall survival after a diagnosis of head and neck cancer.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based retrospective cohort study included patients from the National Cancer Database, a prospectively maintained, hospital-based cancer registry of patients treated at more than 1500 US hospitals. Participants were diagnosed with malignant tumors of the head and neck from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from May 1 through November 30, 2019.

EXPOSURES

Treatment at facilities classified as ACCPs, INCPs, CCCPs, or CCPs.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Overall survival after diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer was the primary outcome. The secondary outcome was the odds of receiving treatment at ACCPs and INCPs vs CCCPs and CCPs. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used for analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 525 740 patients (368 821 men [70.2%]; mean [SD] age, 63.3 [14.0] years) were diagnosed with malignant tumors of the head and neck during the study period. Among them, 36 595 patients (7.0%) were treated at CCPs; 174 658 (33.2%), at CCCPs; 232 867 (44.3%), at ACCPs; and 57 857 (11.0%), at INCPs. The median survival for patients with aerodigestive cancers was 69.2 (95% CI, 68.6-69.8) months; salivary gland cancers, 107.2 (95% CI, 103.9-110.2) months; and skin cancers, 113.2 (95% CI, 111.4-114.6) months. Improved overall survival was associated with treatment at ACCPs (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.88-0.91), INCPs (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.96), and CCCPs (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.95) compared with CCPs. Compared with patients with private insurance, those with government insurance (odds ratio [OR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.29-1.41), no insurance (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16), or Medicaid (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.14-1.20) were more likely to receive treatment at ACCPs and INCPs, whereas patients with Medicare were less likely to receive treatment at ACCPs and INCPs (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97). Compared with white patients, black (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.52-1.59) and Asian (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.49-1.63) patients were more likely to receive care at ACCPs and INCPs. Compared with patients from lower-income areas, patients from high-income areas were more likely to receive treatment at ACCPs and INCPs (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.22-1.28).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that treatment at ACCPs and INCPs was associated with a better overall survival rate in patients with head and neck cancer. Key social determinants of health such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and type of insurance were associated with receiving treatment at ACCPs and INCPs.