A National Cancer Database Analysis of the effect of brachytherapy on overall survival in patients with base of tongue cancer
Recommended Citation
Silva SR, Martin B, Choi M, Emami B, Hurst NJ. A National Cancer Database Analysis of the effect of brachytherapy on overall survival in patients with base of tongue cancer. Head & Neck 2019; 41(5):1184-1192.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-20-2019
Publication Title
Head & Neck
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We performed an analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to evaluate overall survival (OS) in patients with base of tongue (BOT) cancer treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) combined with brachytherapy (BT).
METHODS: The tongue NCDB Participant User File was used to obtain demographic and clinical patient data. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine OS. Significance was determined using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTS: At 3 years, OS was 69.6%, 77.1%, and 63.7% for patients treated with EBRT (n = 27 954), EBRT + BT (n = 209), or BT alone (n = 154), respectively (P = .01). On multivariable analysis, the instantaneous hazard of death for patients receiving EBRT + BT was 25% (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.98) lower than patients receiving only EBRT (P = .03).
CONCLUSIONS: The addition of BT to EBRT in BOT cancer has an OS benefit.
Medical Subject Headings
Adult; Aged; Brachytherapy/methods; Databases; Factual; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; National Cancer Institute (U.S.); Neoplasm Staging; Proportional Hazards Models; Socioeconomic Factors; Tongue Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/radiotherapy; United States; National Cancer Database; base of tongue cancer; brachytherapy; overall survival; radiation therapy
PubMed ID
30788877
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
Volume
41
Issue
5
First Page
1184
Last Page
1192
