Patient-Reported Symptoms and Direct Health Care Costs in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its associated treatments are associated with substantial functional, psychological, and financial consequences. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) play a crucial role in capturing the full impact of disease. Understanding how PROMs are associated with health care costs is critical for cancer care planning; however, the association of health care expenditure and PROMs is yet to be clarified.

To assess the association between Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) scores and direct health care costs incurred in 30 days for adult patients with HNC.

This cohort study used linked administrative datasets from Ontario, Canada, of adult patients who received a diagnosis of HNC between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2022. Included patients had at least 1 ESAS assessment completed from the date of diagnosis to the date of death or January 31, 2023. Coprimary exposures were the highest individual symptom score (h-ESAS, from 0 to 10) and the sum total of the individual scores of the 9 symptoms (t-ESAS, from 0-90). Multivariable negative binomial regression models using a generalized estimating equation approach under an exchangeable correlation structure were used to assess the association between each primary exposure and 30-day costs, accounting for patient age, sex, immigration status, socioeconomic status, cancer type, and recent cancer-directed treatment modality, updated to each ESAS assessment date. Data analysis was performed from September 2024 to February 2025.

A 30-day cost-capturing window was defined around each ESAS assessment date to comprise a 7-day interval before this date and a 22-day interval after this date. Direct health care costs incurred during this 30-day window were estimated using a patient-level case-costing algorithm adjusted to 2023 Canadian dollars.

The total sample population was 16 544 adult patients with HNC (mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 63.7 [11.5] y; 12 526 [75.7%] male individuals ) and their 90 025 ESAS assessments completed since the date of diagnosis. Each 1-point increase in h-ESAS was associated with a 22% increase in 30-day costs (rate ratio [RR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.21-1.22). Likewise, relative costs increased progressively with higher t-ESAS scores, peaking among patients with scores of 71 to 80 (RR, 4.82; 95% CI, 4.32-5.39).

This cohort study found that both h-ESAS and t-ESAS were significantly associated with 30-day costs. These findings highlight the potential role of PROMs in cost-mitigation strategies for HNC care.