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Published on: April 22, 2019
Treatment package time (TPT) and surgery to post-operative radiotherapy (S-PORT) interval in head and neck cancers: A
Mario Sánchez-Canteli1,2,3, Juana M García-Pedrero4,5, Juan P Rodrigo4,5
1Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario de San Agustín (Avilés) and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain. mariosanchezcanteli@gmail.com.
Background:
The impact of key treatment intervals on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) survival remains unclear.
Methods:
This systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, assessed 22 cohort studies including 322,569 patients. The mean threshold for prolonged total treatment package time (TPT) was 95.21 days, while for surgery-to-postoperative radiotherapy (S-PORT), it was 6.9 weeks.
Results:
Both prolonged TPT and S-PORT intervals were significantly associated with reduced survival (TPT: HR = 1.25; S-PORT: HR = 1.03; p < 0.0001). However, the negative impact of extended TPT was more pronounced compared to S-PORT delays.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that minimizing TPT delays is critical for optimizing HNSCC outcomes. However, substantial heterogeneity across studies limits the generalizability of results. Further research is needed to establish standardized treatment timelines and improve survival rates in HNSCC patients.
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