title: Impact of race on oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma presentation and outcomes among veterans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Racial disparities in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have been demonstrated and attributed to differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) status. The purpose of this study was to examine racial disparities in oropharyngeal SCC among veterans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of patients with oropharyngeal SCC at a tertiary-care Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to examine the effect of race on oropharyngeal SCC outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 158 patients, 126 (79.7%) were white and 32 (20.3%) were African American. No difference in p16 tumor expression was noted between the groups. Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 42.6% and 55.1% for African Americans and whites, respectively (p = .372). Five-year overall survival (OS) for African Americans and whites was 54.6% and 51.8%, respectively (p = .768). On multivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in risk of recurrence or death by race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial disparities are largely ameliorated in patients with oropharyngeal SCC treated within the VA, there were no racial differences in p16 tumor expression, and outcomes remain poor.
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.|Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Jose P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zevallos
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Vlad C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Sandulache
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamblin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Heath D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.|Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Kelsey L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Horter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Department of Pathology, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Syeling
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.|Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: oropharyngeal cancer; racial disparities; veterans