Factors Associated with Mortality in Patients with Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer: Indirect Evidence of Financial Toxicity
摘要
Objective: To analyze the factors associated with mortality in patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer, considering death as an indirect outcome of financial to-xicity. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study using data from the Hospital Cancer Registry (RHC) for the period from 2019 to 2023. A total of 11,189 adult patients diagnosed with oral cavity (C00–C06) or oropharyngeal (C09–C10) cancer were included. The independent variables were: education level, alcoholism, clinical staging, type of healthcare (public or private), year of diagnosis, tumor location, and region of treatment. The association between these variables and the outcome (death) was evaluated using binary logistic regression, with a significance level of 5%. Results: Advanced clinical staging (OR = 3.53; 95% CI: 3.04–4.10), low education level (OR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.25–3.01), severe alcoholism (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.15–1.44), and treatment in the Northern region of the country (reference) were factors associated with higher mortality risk. Patients diagnosed in 2022 had a higher likelihood of death (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.11–1.43), while those diagnosed in 2023 had a lower risk (OR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.62–0.90). Conclusion: Low education level, severe alcoholism, advanced staging at diagnosis, and regional disparities were associated with increased mortality risk, reflecting the indirect impact of financial toxicity on cancer patient survival.