Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38037808›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2023

Regional outcome disparities in German head and neck cancer patients: Shorter survival in Eastern Germany.

Julius M Vahl, Gabriele Nagel, Tsima Abou Kors, Matthias Brand, Adrian von Witzleben, Michael Sonntag, Ayla Grages, Marie N Theodoraki, Jens Greve, Michael Denkinger and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. HNO · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Julius M VahlDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4481-7085
Gabriele NagelDepartment of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Tsima Abou KorsDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Matthias BrandDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Adrian von WitzlebenDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Michael SonntagDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Ayla GragesDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Marie N TheodorakiDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Jens GreveDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Michael DenkingerAgaplesion Bethesda Ulm, Institute of Geriatric Research at Ulm University Medical Center and Geriatric Center, Ulm, Germany.
Dhayana DallmeierAgaplesion Bethesda Ulm, Institute of Geriatric Research at Ulm University Medical Center and Geriatric Center, Ulm, Germany.
Christian IdelDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
Stephan StilgenbauerDepartment of Internal Medicine III, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
Thomas K HoffmannDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Simon LabanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6732-7137

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDemographics are important prognostic factors in malignant diseases. A nationwide analysis concerning the prognostic impact of demographics in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients (HNCP) has not been performed previously.

methodsA retrospective analysis of data from the Center for Cancer Registry Data (ZfKD) and the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) between 2002 and 2017 was performed. A total of 212'920 HNCP were included. Incidence, tumor stage, age development, sex distribution, age-, residence-, and diagnosis-time-specific survival were examined.

resultsMean age of HNCP increased more rapidly than in the general population (slope coefficient: 0.29 vs. 0.20; p < 0.0001). Higher age and male sex were associated with a worse prognosis. Whereas overall survival (OS) increased from the early to the later observation period for HNCP <70 years, no OS improvement for HNCP >70 years was found. Furthermore, an OS disadvantage was observed for East Germany compared to West Germany (median 47 vs. 60 months; p < 0.0001). This disparity was associated with a disproportionately high ratio of men in East Germany (men/women: 4.4 vs. 3.1; p < 0.0001) and a lower mean age (61 vs. 63 years; p < 0.0001). In addition to stage, age and sex, residence in East Germany were confirmed as an independent factor for OS in a multivariate analysis.

conclusionFinally, three decades after the German reunion, a survival disadvantage for patients in East Germany still exists. This discrepancy may be a result of socioeconomic disparities.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsFemaleGermanyHumansMalePrognosisRetrospective StudiesSex Distributionagecancer registry datademographic changesocioeconomic health disparity

Identifiers

PMID38037808
PMCPMC10726835

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.