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Post-diagnosis aspirin use and survival in veterans with head and neck cancer
Catherine J Lumley1, Thomas M Kaffenberger2, Sameer Desale3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia.
Background:
Our objective was to determine the effect of post-diagnosis aspirin use on survival in veterans with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Methods:
Retrospective cohort study of 584 veterans with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated at the Washington DC VA Medical Center between 1995 and 2015. Charts were queried for clinical-pathologic data, aspirin prescriptions, and outcome. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to determine overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) among aspirin users and nonusers.
Results:
A total of 329 patients met inclusion criteria. Primary subsites included oropharynx (n = 143), larynx (n = 105), oral cavity (n = 62), and hypopharynx (n = 19). Eighty-four patients were aspirin users (25.5%). Aspirin users demonstrated significantly better 3-year OS and DSS (78.6% and 88.1%) compared to nonaspirin users (OS: 55.9% and DSS: 70.2%; P = .0003 and P = .0019, respectively). On multivariate analysis, aspirin use remained independently associated with improved survival.
Conclusion:
Aspirin use following diagnosis and curative treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is associated with improved OS and DSS.
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