Disparities Seen in Survival of Head and Neck Cancer

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients and those with lower socioeconomic status appear to face earlier mortality from cancer of the head and neck, according to research released online Oct. 6 in advance of publication in the Nov. 15 issue of Cancer.

Manuel A. Molina, M.D., of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed data from 20,915 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer in Florida from 1998 to 2002 using two data sets.

Median survival time was 37 months, the researchers report. Independent predictors of poorer outcomes included race, poverty, sex, and smoking and alcohol consumption. Differences in median survival time were seen between whites and blacks (40 months versus 21 months, respectively) and lowest and highest area poverty level (27 months versus 34 months, respectively). Black patients were more likely to present with more advanced disease and were also less likely to undergo surgery than whites (32 versus 45 percent), the report indicates.

"In conclusion, racial and socioeconomic status disparities continue to exist in head and neck cancer survival. This inequality is not explained completely by demographics, comorbid conditions or undertreatment because poor outcomes continued to be observed after correcting for these factors. Earlier diagnosis, particularly in those from low socioeconomic status groups and among African American patients, is needed to improve outcomes. Furthermore, examination into potential differences in tumor biology among cohorts needs to be undertaken to identify better therapies for these patients," the authors write.

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