Neighborhood socioeconomic status and race are associated with incidence disparities in oral cavity cancers.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), race and incidence rate trends of oral cavity cancer (OCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) 18 Census Tract-level SES and Rurality Database (2006-2018) database of the National Cancer Institute to create cohorts of OCC patients between 2006 and 2018. Annual incidence rates were calculated and trends in rates were estimated using joinpoints regression. RESULTS: The incidence of OCC is the highest among low nSES White Americans (2.86 per 100 000 persons) and the lowest among high nSES Black Americans (1.17 per 100 000 persons). Incidence has significantly increased among Asian Americans (annual percent change [APC]: low nSES-2.4, high nSES-2.6) and White Americans (APC: low nSES-1.4, high nSES-1.6). Significant increases in the incidence of oral tongue cancer in these groups primarily drive this increase. Other increases were noted in alveolar ridge cancer among White Americans and hard palate cancer among Asian Americans. OCC incidence decreased significantly in Hispanic Americans of high nSES (APC: -2.5) and Black Americans of low nSES (APC: -2.7). Floor of mouth cancer incidence decreased among most groups. CONCLUSION: Despite the overall decreasing incidence of OCC, these trends are inconsistent among all OCC subsites. Differences are seen by race, nSES, and subsite, indicating intersectional barriers that extend beyond nSES and race and ethnicity alone. Further research on risk factors and developing interventions targeting vulnerable groups is needed.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Racial and Ethnic Survival Disparities in Oral Cavity and Laryngeal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Oral cavity cancer (OCC) and laryngeal cancer are among the most common cancers worldwide. This study investigated survival in non-Hispanic (NH) Black, NH White, Asian, and Hispanic patients with OCC and laryngeal cancer of low, intermediate, and high neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES). METHODS: We used data from the SEER 18 Census Tract-level SES and Rurality Database of the National Cancer Institute to create cohorts of OCC and laryngeal cancer patients from 2013 to 2018. Univariate survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank P values by nSES and then the cross-classification of race, ethnicity, and nSES. We used Cox proportional hazards regression model for multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Higher nSES was associated with better OCC survival for NH White, NH Black, and Asian patients, and better laryngeal cancer survival for NH White, NH Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients. In the multivariable analyses of both OCC and laryngeal cancer survival, NH Black patients had worse survival than NH White patients in the high nSES tertile. NH Black patients with OCC were at higher risk of death than NH White patients at all nSES levels. Conversely, Asian patients with laryngeal cancer demonstrated better survival than other races within the high nSES. CONCLUSIONS: Overall survival differs between racial and ethnic groups of similar nSESs. These health disparities in patients with OCC and laryngeal cancer reflect broader inequities in the cancer control continuum. IMPACT: The cross-classification of race, ethnicity, and nSES revealed disparities in the 5-year overall survival of patients with OCC and laryngeal cancer and highlights the importance of intersectionality in the discussion of health equity.

Gender and race interact to influence survival disparities in head and neck cancer.

Gender and race disparities in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HSNCC) survival are independently well documented, but no prior studies have examined the joint effect of these factors on HSNCC outcomes. We aim to comprehensively estimate the effect of gender and race on overall survival in HNSCC. We constructed a retrospective cohort from the National Cancer Database for primary HNSCC of the larynx, hypopharynx, oral cavity, and oropharynx from 2010 to 2015. We used Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regressions to calculate hazard ratios adjusting for treatment type, age, insurance, staging classifications, and comorbidities. Oral cavity cancer was significantly more common among Hispanic and White females compared to other sites. Female non-oropharyngeal HNSCC cases had better five-year overall survival than males (56.3% versus 54.4%, respectively), though Black females (52.8%) had poorer survival than both White (56.2%) and Hispanic (57.9%) males. There were significant differences in oropharyngeal cancer by HPV status. Notably, Black females with HPV-positive oropharyngeal OPSCC had far worse survival than any other race and gender group. These results persisted even when adjusting for potential mediating factors. Clearly gender is a significant prognosticator for HNSCC and has meaningful interactions with race. The distinct site distributions across gender and race reveal important insights into HNSCC among females. Taking into account these gender disparities while considering race is essential to providing appropriate care to head and neck patients and accurately counselling these individuals on prognosis and outcomes.

Impact of resident surgeons on procedure length based on common pediatric otolaryngology cases.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Surgical education remains an important mission of academic medical centers. Financial pressures may favor improved operating room (OR) efficiency at the expense of teaching in the OR. We aim to evaluate factors, such as resident participation, associated with duration of total OR, as well as procedural time of common pediatric otolaryngologic cases. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: We reviewed resident and attending surgeon total OR and procedural times for isolated tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy (T&A), and bilateral myringotomy with tube insertion between 2009 and 2013. We included cases supervised or performed by one of four teaching surgeons in children with American Society of Anesthesiology classification < 3. Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of procedural time. RESULTS: We identified 3,922 procedures. Residents had significantly longer procedure times for all procedures compared to an attending surgeon (4.9-12.8 minutes, P < 0.001). Differences were proportional to case complexity. In T&A patients, older patient age and attending surgeon identity were also significant predictors of increased mean procedural time (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Resident participation contributes to increased procedure time for common otolaryngology procedures. We found that differences in operative time between resident surgeons and attending surgeons are proportional to the complexity of the case, with additional factors, such as attending surgeon identity and older patient age, also influencing procedure times. Despite the increased procedural time, our investigation shows that resident education does not result in excessive operative times beyond what may be reasonably expected at a teaching institution.