Impact of Diagnostic and Treatment Delays on Survival and Treatment-Related Toxicities in Portuguese Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

INTRODUCTION

Delays in diagnosis and initiation of treatment have a negative impact on the prognosis and survival of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. These delays also involve more intensive treatments with greater toxicity, dysfunction, and morbidity.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study with patients diagnosed with HNC between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021. The main objective was to estimate whether the time to diagnosis (TD) and time until treatment initiation (TIT) translated into changes in the patient's overall survival (OS). Multivariate data analysis was performed with the Cox regression model. Significance was considered for p<0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 139 patients were included in this study. Median TD was 126 days and median TIT was 43 days. No association between TD, TIT, treatment toxicity, and OS was found. Being a smoker was associated with a longer TD (p=0.05, hazard ratios {HR}=1.01). TIT was significantly shorter in higher grades (p=0.03, HR=0.57) and during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (p=0.04, HR=0.57), but higher in larger disease (tumor {T}) (p=0.04, HR=1.39). A higher T (p=0.01, HR=2.67) and lymph node metastasis (nodes {N}) (p=0.02, HR=2.24) were identified as risk factors with a negative impact on OS, whereas grade was positively correlated (p=0.05, HR=0.32).

CONCLUSIONS

Even though there was no correlation between TD and TIT, and OS, action still needs to be taken to shorten these times. T and N remain negative predictive prognostic markers of HNC.