Language barriers in head and neck cancer: Matched pair analysis of outcomes between non‐English speaking and English‐speaking patients

Purpose As society grows in cultural diversity, an increasing proportion of patients are expected to be from non‐English speaking backgrounds. This study sought to compare the clinical outcomes between non‐English speakers and English speakers treated by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Methods and materials Seventy‐five non‐English speaking patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were matched to English‐speaking controls based on patient and disease variables; clinical outcomes were compared. Results Non‐English speaking patients had inferior 3‐year overall survival (64% vs. 77%, p = 0.02) and progression‐free survival (59% vs. 73%, p = 0.01) compared with the English‐speaking cohort. On logistical regression, non‐English‐speaking status was associated with a significantly increased risk of overall death (OR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.09–1.92). Conclusions Prognosis differed significantly between non‐English speaking and English‐speaking patients. Culturally tailored programs to address language barriers should be considered to ameliorate disparities in outcome.