Treatment initiation and completion among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in Tanzania

Few studies characterizing clinical outcomes of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in sub-Saharan Africa report the proportion of patients who initiate and complete treatment, information integral to contextualizing survival outcomes. This retrospective cohort study describes HNC patients who presented to Muhimbili National Hospital and Ocean Road Cancer Institute in 2018, the highest-volume oncology tertiary referral centers in Tanzania. Logistic regression was applied to assess predictors of treatment initiation and completion.

Among the 176 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients, 34% (59) had no treatment documented, 34%(59) had documentation of treatment initiation but not completion, and 33%(58) had documentation of treatment completion based on the modalities started. Univariate logistic regression showed that late-stage disease was associated with increased odds of initiating treatment (OR 8.24, 95% CI 2.05-33.11, p = 0.003) and trends toward completing treatment (OR 7.41, 95% CI 0.90-60.99, p = 0.063). At last visit, 36.9%(65) were alive with a median follow up of 5.6 months (IQR 1.64-12.5 months). A large proportion of HNC patients who presented to MNH and ORCI did not initiate or complete treatment. These metrics are critical to contextualize care outcomes of HNC patients in resource-constrained health systems and develop interventions.