title: Impact of concomitant chemoradiation on survival for patients with T1-2N1 head and neck cancer.
abstract: Single-modality radiotherapy is considered a standard-of-care option for certain stage III, T1-2N1 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). The role of concomitant chemoradiation is not well established because there have been no studies comparing chemoradiation with radiation alone in this population.
  
  
  
  This study analyzed patients in the National Cancer Data Base with cT1-2N1M0 invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2012 and were undergoing definitive radiation. Patients who were undergoing surgery before radiation with unknown follow-up or for whom either the receipt or timing of chemotherapy was unknown were excluded.
  
  
  
  In all, 5030 patients with T1-2N1 oropharyngeal, laryngeal, or hypopharyngeal cancer were included. The median follow-up was 56.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 55.7-58.6 months). Overall, 68% of the patients received concomitant chemoradiation (CCRT). The use of CCRT significantly increased during the time period of this study from 53% in 2004 to 78% in 2012 (P < .001). CCRT was associated with improved overall survival (OS) in comparison with radiation alone in a multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88; P < .001). In propensity score-adjusted analyses, CCRT remained significantly associated with improved OS, with 5-year OS rates of 63.5% (95% CI, 60.7%-66.2%) and 55.6% (95% CI, 52.7%-58.4%; P < .001) with CCRT and radiation alone, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed a benefit across the majority of subgroups, including patients with oropharyngeal cancer (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.85; P < .001).
  
  
  
  Concomitant chemoradiation is associated with improved survival for patients with T1-2N1 HNSCC. Prospective trials in this population should be pursued. Cancer 2017;123:1555-1565. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Zachary S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Zumsteg
authors.affiliation: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Sungjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Emi J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tighiouart
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shiao
authors.affiliation: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scher
authors.affiliation: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sherman
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: Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.|Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Allen S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D057216:Propensity Score; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: National Cancer Data Base; T1N1; T2N1; chemoradiation; head and neck cancer