Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41291797›Full record

ArticleRadiation oncology (London, England)2025

Financial toxicity on treatment outcomes in head & neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Garrett K Harada, Eric Ku, Jino Park, Akul Munjal, Nicholas Peterson, Sophie Hsu, Rupali Banker, Shirin Attarian, Erin Healy, Michael Hoyt and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

13 authors.

Garrett K HaradaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA. gharada@hs.uci.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7024-3783
Eric KuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Jino ParkDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Akul MunjalDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Nicholas PetersonDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Sophie HsuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Rupali BankerDepartment of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Shirin AttarianDepartment of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Erin HealyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Michael HoytDepartment of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Gelareh SadighDepartment of Radiological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Allen ChenDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.
Jeremy P HarrisDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA.

Funding

Univ.of Calif., Irvine Cancer Center Support GrantP30CA062203 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Christine Hui · 1994 to 2026
$57.9M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA062203
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFinancial toxicity, defined as hardship from medical costs, is an emerging concept in healthcare. Here we define financial toxicity in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation, identify risk factors, and determine associations with HRQoL, treatment morbidity, and survival.

methodsWe conducted a prospective study on consecutive patients referred to a tertiary referral center for radiation therapy for head and neck malignancies (July 2021-June 2023). Patients provided consent and were assessed using validated patient-reported outcome measures for financial toxicity (FACIT-COST), HRQoL (EORTC-QLQ-C30), and symptom burden (PRO-CTCAE) before and after radiation therapy. Primary outcomes included two-year overall survival (OS), treatment morbidity (ER visits, hospitalizations, feeding tube placement, missed radiation days), HRQoL, and symptom burden.

resultsAmong 74 patients (median age 69), all completed pre-radiation therapy (pre-RT) measures, and 39 completed post-RT measures. Median pre-RT COST was 29 (range: 0-44), with 41.9% scoring ≤25, indicating worse financial toxicity. Lower pre-RT COST scores correlated with younger age, Black race, Medicaid insurance, single or unemployed status, advanced T-stage, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (p < 0.05). These patients had worse HRQoL, more severe symptoms, increased feeding tube placements, and more ER visits/hospitalizations (p < 0.05). OS was worse with lower pre- (HR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.91-0.99; p = 0.015) and post-RT COST scores (HR = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.86-0.98; p = 0.012).

conclusionsFinancial toxicity is common in head and neck radiation patients and linked to worse HRQoL, morbidity, and OS. Affected patients had clear socioeconomic risk factors and advanced disease. Further research should explore interventions to improve cancer outcomes.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessFinancial StressHead and Neck NeoplasmsHealth Care CostsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresProspective StudiesQuality of LifeCTCAEFACITFinancial toxicityHead and neck cancerHRQoLQLQ-C30Radiation therapy

Identifiers

PMID41291797
PMCPMC12648789

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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.