Associations Between Race and Survival Outcomes Among Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer in a Racially Diverse Setting

Objective There is limited data on the impact of clinical‐demographic factors on survival outcomes among veterans with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of race and other factors on overall survival (OS) in a population of veterans with HNSCC treated with curative intent. Methods Demographic and clinical data were collected on veterans with HNSCC treated with curative intent at our institution between 1999 and 2021. The primary outcome was 3‐year OS. Secondary outcomes included treatment delay intervals, including time to treatment initiation (TTI), total package time, and duration of chemoradiation (DCRT). Results Of 260 veterans with HNSCC, black veterans had significantly lower 3‐year OS (49.4%) compared to white veterans (65%, P = .019). Black veterans were also more likely to experience delays in treatment initiation (median TTI 46 vs 41 days; P = .047). Black patients were more likely to receive radiation alone (25.8% [black] vs 8.4% [white]; P