Social determinants of health and survivorship in parotid cancer: An analysis of the National Cancer Database

Abstract Background Given the rarity of parotid cancer, there is relatively few data published regarding outcomes. Utilizing the large sample population of the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we aim to examine the relationship between two key social determinants of health, demographics and socioeconomic status (SES), and parotid malignancy survival rates. Methods Our analytic sample consists of patients with a diagnosis of primary malignancy of the parotid gland between 2004 and 2012 in the NCDB. We used univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the relationship between overall survival rate and two key social determinants of health: demographics and SES. Results 15,815 cases met inclusion criteria. Average age was 60.1 years and 8255 were male (52.2%). Median overall survival was 121 months with 5-year overall survival of 67.4%. Male sex and older age at diagnosis were associated with poorer overall survival (p  Conclusion In this national sample of patients with parotid malignancy, a rare form of cancer, we found a significant correlation between important social determinants of health and overall survival rate. Females, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, and patients with higher education level have better overall survival.