Factors associated with adjuvant treatment delays in patients treated surgically for head and neck cancer

Objective: To determine the patient and treatment characteristics associated with delay in post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) for patients treated surgically for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) at our institution. Design: Single institution retrospective review. Setting: Tertiary care academic medical centre. Participants: Patients treated surgically for HNSCC who underwent PORT between 2013 and 2016. Main outcome measures and results: One hundred forty patients met inclusion criteria. A majority did not start radiotherapy within 6 weeks. Factors associated with a delayed initiation of PORT included length of stay >8 days, 30-day readmission, no adjuvant chemotherapy, post-operative complications and fragmented care. Conclusions: A majority of patients did not initiate PORT within the guideline-recommended 6 weeks. Modifiable risks factors that delay initiation of PORT were identified.