Effects of continuity of care on the postradiotherapy survival of working-age patients with oral cavity cancer: A nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES: Cancer of the oral cavity, a well-known global health concern, remains one of most common causes of cancer mortality. Continuity of care (COC), a measurement of the extent to which an individual patient receives care from a given provider over a specified period of time, can help cancer survivors process their experiences of dealing with the illness and recuperation; however, limited research has focused on the survival rate of working-age patients with oral cancer. METHODS: A total of 14,240 working-age patients (20 0.38) and non-high COC (COCI ≤ 0.38) groups. After propensity-score matching, the mortality risk in the low and intermediate COC groups was also found to be significantly higher than that in the high COC group (aHR = 1.178, 95% CI = 1.074-1.292, p < 0.001 and aHR = 1.189, 95% CI = 1.107-1.277, p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In Taiwan, COC and prior dental treatment before RT significantly affected the survival rate of working-age patients with oral cancer. This result merits policymakers' attention.