Improving outcomes in veterans with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma through implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic

Background: Treatment of head and neck cancer is complex, and a multidisciplinary clinic may improve the coordination of care. The value of a head and neck multidisciplinary clinic has not yet been established in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of Veterans Affairs patients with oropharyngeal SCC undergoing concurrent chemoradiation before and after implementation of the head and neck multidisciplinary clinic. Results: Fifty-two patients before and 54 patients after multidisciplinary clinic were included in this study. Age, tobacco use, and p16+ status were similar between groups. With multidisciplinary clinic, time to treatment decreased, and utilization of supportive services, including speech pathology, dentistry, and nutrition increased. The 5-year disease-specific survival rate increased from 63% to 81% (p =.043) after implementation of the multidisciplinary clinic. Multivariate analysis showed that disease stage (p =.016), p16 status (p =.006), and multidisciplinary clinic participation (p =.042) were predictors of disease-specific survival. Conclusion: Implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic improved care coordination and disease-specific survival in patients with oropharyngeal SCC.