Trends in chemoradiation use in elderly patients with head and neck cancer: Changing treatment patterns with cetuximab

Background Cetuximab was approved for use in chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in 2006. Methods 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. Results Chemoradiation use increased from 29% of patients diagnosed in 2001 to 61% in 2009 (p