Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of study participants for years 2019 and 2020. Bolded p-value indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05). OMFS = oromaxillofacial surgeon.
| Year 2019 |
Year 2020 |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 134) | (n = 134) | ||
| Age (years) | |||
| Mean (standard deviation) | 62.9 (11.9) | 64.5 (10.5) | 0.26 |
| Gender | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Female | 33 (24.6%) | 36 (26.9%) | 0.78 |
| Male | 101 (75.4%) | 98 (73.1%) | |
| Race | |||
| White/Caucasian | 120 (89.6%) | 117 (87.3%) | 0.833 |
| African-American | 4 (3.0%) | 6 (4.5%) | |
| Other | 10 (7.5%) | 10 (7.5%) | |
| Insurance status | |||
| Medicare/Medicaid | 60 (44.8%) | 72 (53.7%) | 0.281 |
| Private Insurance | 67 (50.0%) | 54 (40.3%) | |
| Self-pay/Uninsured | 7 (5.2%) | 8 (6.0%) | |
| Malignancy | |||
| Hypopharyngeal | 2 (1.5%) | 5 (3.7%) | 0.561 |
| Laryngeal | 25 (18.7%) | 25 (18.7%) | |
| Sinonasal/Nasopharyngeal | 9 (6.7%) | 8 (6.0%) | |
| Oral cavity | 49 (36.6%) | 56 (41.8%) | |
| Oropharyngeal p16 positive | 38 (28.4%) | 34 (25.4%) | |
| Oropharyngeal p16 negative | 5 (3.7%) | 3 (2.2%) | |
| p16 negative unknown primary | 6 (4.5%) | 2 (1.5%) | |
| Specialty of referring provider | |||
| Dentist/OMFS | 20 (14.9%) | 17 (12.7%) | 0.505 |
| Oncologist | 13 (9.7%) | 12 (9.0%) | |
| Community otolaryngologist | 72 (53.7%) | 76 (56.7%) | |
| Primary care provider | 10 (7.5%) | 8 (6.0%) | |
| Emergency department | 1 (0.7%) | 5 (3.7%) | |
| Vanderbilt-affiliated otolaryngologist | 10 (7.5%) | 9 (6.7%) | |
| Other | 8 (6.0%) | 3 (2.2%) | |
| History of prior cancer | |||
| Yes | 47 (35.1%) | 36 (26.9%) | 0.186 |
| No | 87 (64.9%) | 98 (73.1%) | |
| Primary treatment | |||
| Chemoradiation | 33 (24.6%) | 37 (27.6%) | 0.705 |
| Surgery | 79 (59.0%) | 69 (51.5%) | |
| Radiation | 3 (2.2%) | 4 (3.0%) | |
| Palliative chemotherapy | 5 (3.7%) | 6 (4.5%) | |
| Palliative radiation | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| Palliative chemoradiation | 3 (2.2%) | 1 (0.7%) | |
| Lost to follow up | 11 (8.2%) | 16 (11.9%) | |
| Patient-reported symptoms: | |||
| Dysphagia | |||
| Yes | 39 (29.1%) | 42 (31.3%) | 0.79 |
| No | 95 (70.9%) | 92 (68.7%) | |
| Dyspnea | |||
| Yes | 10 (7.5%) | 10 (7.5%) | 1 |
| No | 124 (92.5%) | 124 (92.5%) | |
| Pain | |||
| Yes | 83 (61.9%) | 88 (65.7%) | 0.611 |
| No | 51 (38.1%) | 46 (34.3%) | |
| Otalgia | |||
| Yes | 29 (21.6%) | 15 (11.2%) | 0.031 |
| No | 105 (78.4%) | 119 (88.8%) | |
| Bleeding | |||
| Yes | 8 (6.0%) | 12 (9.0%) | 0.487 |
| No | 126 (94.0%) | 122 (91.0%) | |
| Neck mass | |||
| Yes | 36 (26.9%) | 39 (29.1%) | 0.786 |
| No | 98 (73.1%) | 95 (70.9%) | |
| Weight loss | |||
| Yes | 23 (17.2%) | 20 (14.9%) | 0.74 |
| No | 111 (82.8%) | 114 (85.1%) | |
| Number of symptoms | |||
| Mean (standard deviation) | 1.70 (1.16) | 1.69 (1.09) | 0.914 |
| Duration of symptoms (weeks) | |||
| Mean (standard deviation) | 6.82 (14.3) | 6.54 (13.0) | 0.872 |