title: Trends in chemoradiation use in elderly patients with head and neck cancer: Changing treatment patterns with cetuximab.
abstract: Cetuximab was approved for use in chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in 2006.
  
  
  
  Among 3705 patients with locally advanced HNSCC identified in the linked Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Medicare database, we assessed treatment trends, including surgery, radiation therapy (RT), CRT, and specific agents used in CRT. We examined the influence of demographic and clinical characteristics on the likelihood of receiving CRT before and after 2006.
  
  
  
  Chemoradiation use increased from 29% of patients diagnosed in 2001 to 61% in 2009 (p < .0001). Compared to before 2006, neither age nor comorbidity score was associated with receipt of CRT after 2006. Platinum combinations were the most commonly used concurrent chemotherapies before 2006, but, since then, cetuximab has become the most commonly used agent.
  
  
  
  The use of CRT has increased substantially and cetuximab may have increased CRT use, especially in older and sicker patients. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E165-E171, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.|Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Shrujal S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Baxi
authors.affiliation: The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panoz Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Caitriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.|Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Coral L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Atoria
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Nancy Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.|Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.|Department of Public Health, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Elena B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Elkin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D000068818:Cetuximab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000639:trends*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017671:Platinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D017671:Platinum Compounds; D000068818:Cetuximab
keywords: cetuximab; chemoradiation; head and neck cancer; population-based; squamous cell carcinoma