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

Abstract 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.