Sex and Health Disparities Impacts on Survival Rates for Patients with Major Salivary Gland Tumors​

Abstract

Objective To evaluate demographic and clinical factors influencing survival in patients with major salivary gland tumors (MSGTs) using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Study Design A retrospective cohort study using SEER data from 2000 to 2021.

Setting Data were collected from the SEER registry, a comprehensive database capturing cancer statistics across the United States.

Methods Patients diagnosed with major salivary gland malignancies were analyzed for demographic factors including age, sex, race, marital status, and income, as well as clinical variables including tumor grade and site. Stratification by gender was done to assess gender specific outcomes.

Results The cohort included 13,869 patients. Key findings include that older age and male sex were associated with worse survival outcomes. Single patients had better survival than married individuals, likely due to younger age at diagnosis. Additionally, higher income and Asian/Pacific Islander race conferred a survival advantage. There were disparate impacts between males and females in income, marital status, and race, with higher income and marriage providing a survival advantage for male patients but none for females. Additionally, Black females but not Black males, and widowed females but not widowed males, had slightly increased hazard ratios compared to white individuals.

Conclusion Men and women experience disparate effects that impact survival and outcomes in major salivary gland tumors. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address disparities in care and improve survival outcomes while emphasizing the importance of further research to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these disparities.