Deprivation Indices in Head and Neck Cancer: A Scoping Review.

Objective: This scoping review aims to characterize the methodology and findings of head and neck cancer (HNC) literature utilizing deprivation indices. Data Sources: Studies published in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Elsevier), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Wiley), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), Scopus (Elsevier), and Web of Science (Clarivate). Review Methods: A PRISMA-ScR-based protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (ID: vhm2n). Two independent reviewers and an unbiased moderator conducted study selection and characterization. Results were narratively synthesized to identify thematic trends in index utilization, outcome disparities, and methodological variability. Results: Of the 5126 unique abstracts identified, 45 articles were included. Studies were mostly retrospective national database studies (n = 24, 53.3%) published after 2020 (n = 41, 91.1%). The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was the most frequently reported deprivation index (n = 16, 35.6%) followed by Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) (n = 14, 31.1%), typically analyzed as continuous variables (n = 20, 44.4%). The most common primary outcomes were survival (n = 17, 37.8%), surveillance period (n = 12, 26.7%), and tumor characteristics at presentation (n = 7, 15.6%). A significant association between greater deprivation and worse primary outcomes was reported in 39 studies (90.3%), including 13 of 14 SVI studies (92.9%) and 11 of 16 ADI studies (68.8%). Conclusions: While deprivation indices are increasingly used in HNC research, their application remains inconsistent across study design, index selection, and reporting. Deprivation indices have utility in HNC research and should be further studied to better standardize their use for clinical application and interpretation.