2025 Proffered Presentations
S085: DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN SINONASAL CANCER SURVIVAL - A SEER-BASED STUDY
John E Richter1; Ross Rosen1; Daniel Karasik1; Rishi Katragadda2; Kenneth Rodriguez, MD1; Sanjeet Rangarajan, MD1; Brian D'Anza, MD1; 1University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; 2Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
Background: Sinonasal cancer accounts for 3-5% of all head and neck malignancies, making it a relatively rare condition. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequently diagnosed type, and gold-standard treatment usually entails surgery followed by radiation with or without chemotherapy. Patients often present late, leading to poor survival rates. Demographic factors exert additional influence; past studies have found reduced survival rates for patients who are non-white, low-income, and less educated. This study aims to identify whether demographic disparities in survival rate have changed over time.
Methods: The November 2023 submission of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database was utilized to identify patients with sinonasal SCC from 1975 to 2021. Patients were categorized into two cohorts based on their year of diagnosis: 1975-1999 and 2000-2021. Relative and cause-specific survival rates were determined, and univariate analysis was performed to investigate for correlation with demographic factors. Survival rates were also compared between corresponding demographic groups in the two cohorts. Analysis was performed using the SEER*Stat platform, and reported data reflects Ederer II and Actuarial methods.
Results: Overall, 6,412 patients with sinonasal SCC were identified. The 1975-1999 cohort contained 1,390 patients, of which 63.4% were male and 80% were white. The 2000-2021 cohort contained 5,022 patients, of which 66.4% were male and 69.6% were white. Relative and cause-specific 5-year survival rates did not differ significantly by gender for either group, indicating that male sinonasal SCC patients fared similarly to their female counterparts.
When considering race, white patients in both cohorts demonstrated significantly higher relative survival rates than black or American Indian/Alaska Native patients. White patients in the 2000-2021 group demonstrated significantly higher relative survival rates than Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic patients as well – this disparity was not seen in the 1975-1999 group.
Age-related relative survival differences improved over time. The 1975-1999 cohort exhibited significantly lower relative survival rates for the 55-64, 65-75, and >75-year-old subgroups compared to the 15–44-year-old subgroup. In contrast, for the 2000-2021 cohort, only the >75-year-old subgroup demonstrated a significantly lower relative survival rate than the 15–44-year-old subgroup.
Conclusions: When considering survival rates for sinonasal SCC, significant racial and age-related disparities exist. While survival based on age at diagnosis has improved over the past 50 years, new racial disparities between white and non-white patients have emerged. Further research is necessary to identify the underlying reasons for these disparities and establish effective strategies to ensure equitable cancer care for all.