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. 2021 Jan;43(1):223-228.
doi: 10.1002/hed.26478. Epub 2020 Sep 22.

Trends in chronic opioid therapy among survivors of head and neck cancer

Anuja Kriplani  1 , Jessica A Lavery  1 , Akriti Mishra  1 , Deborah Korenstein  1 , Allison N Lipitz-Snyderman  1 , Denise M Boudreau  2 , Natalie Moryl  1 , Erin F Gillespie  1 , Talya Salz  1
Affiliations

Trends in chronic opioid therapy among survivors of head and neck cancer

Anuja Kriplani et al. Head Neck. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) have increased risk of opioid misuse.

Methods: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results-Medicare data, we matched adults ≥66 years diagnosed with HNC 2008-2015 with cancer-free controls. We computed odds ratios (OR) for receipt of chronic opioid therapy (COT, claims for ≥90 consecutive days) for HNC survivors compared to controls each year after matching through 2016.

Results: The cohort of HNC survivors declined from 5107 in the first year after diagnosis to 604 in the sixth year after diagnosis. For 5 years, rates of COT among HNC survivors exceeded that of controls. Differences between survivors and controls declined each year (ORs: year 1, 4.36; year 2, 2.60; year 3, 2.18; year 4, 1.85; and year 5, 1.35; all P-values <.05).

Conclusions: Among older HNC survivors, cancer-associated opioid use in the first years after diagnosis suggests that the benefit of opioids must balance the risk of opioid misuse.

Keywords: Medicare part D; SEER program; cancer survivors; head and neck neoplasms; opioid epidemic; retrospective studies.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Deborah Korenstein’s spouse does consulting for Takeda and sits on the scientific advisory board of Vedanta Biosciences. No connection to this work.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Chronic opioid therapy use by year after index date among head and neck cancer survivors and cancer-free controls [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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