Marital status and head and neck cancer outcomes

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to examine the effects of marital status on stage at presentation, receipt of treatment, and survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to analyze 51,272 patients who were diagnosed with HNC from 2007 to 2010. The impact of marital status on cancer stage at presentation, receipt of definitive treatment, and HNC‐specific mortality (HNCSM) was determined using multivariable logistic and Fine and Gray competing‐risks regression models, as appropriate. RESULTS Marriage had a protective effect against metastatic presentation of oral and laryngeal cancers (oral cancer: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60‐0.87; P