Guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy for resected high risk oral cavity cancer: Homefield advantage

Factors that are associated with failure to receive guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of high-risk oral cavity cancer are understudied. Here, we performed a retrospective cohort study of surgically treated patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma to determine rates of guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy and to examine patient factors associated with receiving guideline-compliant chemotherapy.

Retrospective cohort.

Two tertiary care referral centers.

Patients with resected high-risk oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma and known adjuvant therapy details were included. Extranodal extension or positive margins were considered high-risk features for which adjuvant chemoradiation was indicated. Patient factors were examined to determine associations with receiving on-guidelines treatment. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine significance of associations.

75 patients were included. 36 (48 %) patients received guideline-compliant cisplatin. In total, 39 (52 %) patients did not receive guideline-compliant chemotherapy. On multivariable analysis, meeting with a university medical oncologist was significantly associated with the receipt of guideline-compliant cisplatin (OR 6.38, 95 % CI 2.26-20.0, p < 0.001).

Adherence to on-guidelines treatment can be difficult to achieve in patients with advanced stage head and neck cancer. Meeting with university medical oncology is associated with an increased chance of receiving guideline-compliant chemotherapy.