Association of self‐reported financial burden with quality of life and oncologic outcomes in head and neck cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of self‐reported financial burden with quality of life and oncologic outcomes in head and neck cancer Via Head & Neck Abstract Background There is a paucity of data on financial toxicity among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients with HNSCC surveyed at an outpatient oncology clinic. Results The sample included 202 patients with HNSCC with a mean age of 59.6 years (SD 10.0). There were 53 patients (26%) with self-reported financial burden. Education of high school or less was a significant predictor of self-reported financial burden (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.03–6.14, p = 0.042). Patients reporting financial burden had significantly worse physical (p = 0.003), mental (p = 0.003), and functional (p = 0.036) health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Patients reporting financial burden appeared to have lower 5-year overall survival (74.3% vs. 83.9%, p = 0.165), but this association did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Financial burden or toxicity may affect approximately a quarter of patients with HNSCC and appears to be associated with worse HRQOL outcomes. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.