Comparison of surgical margins and adjuvant therapy for head and neck cancer by hospital type

• Published in: Translational cancer research 2024-09, Vol.13 (9), p.5050-5063
• Main Authors: Farquhar, Douglas R, Lenze, Nicholas R, Tasoulas, Jason, Sheth, Siddharth, Zevallos, Jose P, Lumley, Catherine, Blumberg, Jeffrey, Patel, Samip, Hackman, Trevor, Weissler, Mark C, Yarbrough, Wendell G, Olshan, Andrew F, Zanation, Adam M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2218-676X; 2219-6803; 2219-6803
• DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-2047

Differences in patient populations and outcomes by hospital type are becoming increasingly relevant as health care systems shift to value-based care models. There is a paucity of literature on patient-level and hospital-level differences for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The objective of this study was to examine differences in patient characteristics, surgical margins, and adjuvant therapy patterns for surgically treated HNSCC across different hospital types. A statewide retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine differences in surgically treated patients with HNSCC by hospital type. A total of 579 surgically treated HNSCC patients with a mean age of 58.5 [standard deviation (SD) 10.7] years were included. There were 152 patients (26%) treated at academic hospitals, 205 (35%) at community cancer centers, and 222 (38%) at community hospitals. Patients at academic hospitals were more likely to travel farther for surgery (mean distance 43.6 miles for academic centers 12.7 miles for community cancer centers 12.6 miles for community hospitals; P