Rance J. T. Fujiwara

Treatment delays in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma and association with survival

Treatment durations and factors associated with delays for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have previously been described but are not fully understood. Impact of delays on overall survival (OS) remains unclear.

Treatment Times in Salivary Gland Cancer: National Patterns and Association with Survival:

Objective To characterize treatment times in salivary cancer; associate treatment times with patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics; and examine the association of treatment times and overall survival. Study Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Commission-on-Cancer Accredited Hospitals 2004-2013. Subjects and Methods In total, 5953 patients with salivary cancer included in the National Cancer Database were identified. For each treatment interval, patients in the fourth quartile (“prolonged”) were compared to patients in the first and second quartiles (“not prolonged”). Patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics were associated with prolonged times via multivariable binary logistic regression. Prolongation of each interval was associated with overall survival via multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, controlling for clinically relevant factors. Results Median durations for diagnosis-to-treatment initiation, surgery-to-radiation treatment (RT), RT duration, total treatment package, and diagnosis-to-treatment end were 31, 44, 47, 92, and 110 days, respectively. Race, insurance status, comorbidities, age, T and N stage, facility volume and location, and a facility care transition from diagnosis to initial treatment were associated with prolonged treatment time. Prolonged RT duration was associated with decreased overall survival (OS) (62% vs 75% 5-year OS, HR = 1.26 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.47]; P = .002), but prolonged diagnosis-to-treatment initiation, surgery-to-RT, total treatment package, and diagnosis-to-treatment end intervals were not (70% vs 67% 5-year OS, HR = 1.11 [95% CI, 0.92-1.34], P = .284; 72% vs 68%, HR = 0.93 [95% CI, 0.79-1.09], P = .370; 70% vs 70%, HR = 1.00 [95% CI, 0.84-1.20], P = .974; 66% vs 71%, HR = 0.99 [95% CI, 0.84-1.18], P = .920, respectively). Conclusion The median durations identified here can serve as reference points. Radiation therapy duration is associated with overall survival in salivary cancer and could be considered a quality indicator.

Treatment guidelines and patterns of care in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Primary surgical resection vs. nonsurgical treatment

BACKGROUND The 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend surgical resection or definitive radiation therapy for early-stage oral cavity malignancies, and surgical resection or multimodality clinical trials for late-stage disease. Few studies have been conducted to identify predictors of choice of treatment modality for oral cavity malignancies. METHODS All patients in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) diagnosed with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) between 1998 and 2011 were identified. Chi-square and binary logistic regression were used to identify factors predictive of surgical or nonsurgical treatment; multiple imputation was used for missing data. Cox proportional hazards models were generated to identify associations between treatment modality and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Of 23,459 patients, 4139 (17.6%) underwent primary nonsurgical treatment. Among NCDB-registered facilities, there has been a decrease in use of nonsurgical treatment for OCSCC (OR 0.97, p<0.001). Older age, non-white race, Medicaid insurance, low income, low education, and later-stage disease were associated with nonsurgical therapy, while patients at academic/research programs were more likely to undergo surgery (OR 0.38, p<0.001). Nonsurgical treatment was associated with decreased OS (HR=2.02, p<0.001); this was upheld on subgroup analysis of early- and late-stage disease. CONCLUSIONS Use of primary nonsurgical treatment for OCSCC has decreased over time among NCDB-registered facilities and is associated with factors related to access to care. Surgical resection for the primary treatment of oral cavity cancer may be associated with improved OS, though conclusions regarding survival are limited by the non-randomized nature of the data.

Treatment delays in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A national cancer database analysis: Treatment Delays in Laryngeal Cancer

To characterize treatment delays in laryngeal cancer and associate delays with patient, tumor, and treatment factors and with overall survival.

Cross-sectional Analysis of the Relationship between Paranasal Sinus Balloon Catheter Dilations and Industry Payments among Otolaryngologists

Objective To characterize the relationship between industry payments and use of paranasal sinus balloon catheter dilations (BCDs) for chronic rhinosinusitis. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis of Medicare B Public Use Files and Open Payments data. Setting Two national databases, 2013 to 2014. Subjects and Methods Physicians with Medicare claims with Current Procedural Terminology codes 31295 to 31297 were identified and cross-referenced with industry payments. Multivariate linear regression controlling for age, race, sex, and comorbidity in a physician’s Medicare population was performed to identify associations between use of BCDs and industry payments. The final analysis included 334 physicians performing 31,506 procedures, each of whom performed at least 11 balloon dilation procedures. Results Of 334 physicians, 280 (83.8%) received 4392 industry payments in total. Wide variation in payments to physicians was noted (range,

The Association of Industry Payments to Physicians with Prescription of Brand-Name Intranasal Corticosteroids:

43.29-

Assessment of Nonresearch Industry Payments to Otolaryngologists in 2014 and 2015

111,685.10). The median payment for food and beverage was

Outcomes and reliability of the flow coupler in postoperative monitoring of head and neck free flaps: Flow Coupler for Head and Neck Free Flaps

19.26 and that for speaker or consulting fees was

Increasing Industry Involvement in Otolaryngology: Insights from 3 Years of the Open Payments Database:

409.45. One payment was associated with an additional 3.05 BCDs (confidence interval [95% CI],1.65-4.45; P < .001). One payment for food and beverages was associated with 3.81 additional BCDs (95% CI, 2.13-5.49; P < .001), and 1 payment for speaker or consulting fees was associated with 5.49 additional BCDs (95% CI, 0.32-10.63; P = .04). Conclusion Payments by manufacturers of BCD devices were associated with increased use of BCD for chronic rhinosinusitis. On separate analyses, the number of payments for food and beverages as well as that for speaker and consulting fees was associated with increased BCD use. This study was cross-sectional and cannot prove causality, and several factors likely exist for the uptrend in BCD use.

Hypopharyngeal Cancer Treatment Delays: Benchmarks and Survival Association

Objectives To examine the association of industry payments for brand-name intranasal corticosteroids with prescribing patterns. Study Design Cross-sectional retrospective analysis. Setting Nationwide. Subjects and Methods We identified physicians prescribing intranasal corticosteroids to Medicare beneficiaries 2014-2015 and physicians receiving payment for the brand-name intranasal corticosteroids Dymista and Nasonex. Prescription and payment data were linked by physician, and we compared the proportion of prescriptions written for brand-name intranasal corticosteroids in industry-compensated vs non-industry-compensated physicians. We associated the number and dollar amount of industry payments with the relative frequency of brand-name prescriptions. Results In total, 164,587 physicians prescribing intranasal corticosteroids were identified, including 7937 (5%) otolaryngologists; 10,800 and 3886 physicians received industry compensation for Dymista and Nasonex, respectively. Physicians receiving industry payment for Dymista prescribed more Dymista as a proportion of total intranasal corticosteroid prescriptions than noncompensated physicians (3.1% [SD = 9.6%] vs 0.2% [SD = 2.5%], respectively, P < .001). Similar trends were seen for Nasonex (12.0% [SD = 16.8%] vs 4.8% [SD = 13.6%], P < .001). The number and dollar amount of payment were significantly correlated to the relative frequency of Dymista (ρ = 0.26, P < .001 and ρ = 0.20, P < .001, respectively) and Nasonex prescriptions (ρ = 0.09, P < .001 and ρ = 0.15, P < .001, respectively). For Dymista, this association was stronger in otolaryngologists than general practitioners (P < .001). There was a stronger correlation between the percentage of prescriptions and the number and dollar amount of payments for Dymista than for Nasonex (P = .014 and P < .001). Conclusions Industry compensation for brand-name intranasal corticosteroids is significantly associated with prescribing patterns. The magnitude of association may depend on physician specialty and the drug’s time on the market.