PaRTNer: Patient Reported Outcomes and Financial Toxicity in Head and Neck Cancer A Pilot, Survey Based Study

This is a prospective, single institution, survey-based study to assess OOP costs, financial toxicity and pateint reported outcomes (PROs') (including QOL, quality of care, and attitudes/perspectives on the role of cost in treatment decisions). Potential participants are new patient consults in Radiation Oncology Head and Neck Cancer Clinic. Patients with an indication for definitive treatment involving radiation therapy will be approached by study staff and, if amenable, enrolled in the study. After signing informed consent, they will complete a baseline survey assessing socioeconomic household information, baseline symptoms/QOL and baseline costs/financial toxicity. They will be followed prospectively and re-surveyed at 3 and 6 months after completion of radiation therapy. Repeat assessments will document treatment costs and PRO including QOL, financial toxicity, and self-reported quality of care. Patients will be asked to collect all treatment-related bills in a provided binder, which will be reviewed at each survey date. Basic demographic data (including age, sex, race, marital status, zip code, and insurance coverage), comorbidities, smoking status, cancer characteristics (stage, site, histology), treatments received, emergency department visits and hospitalization rates at baseline, end of treatment, 3 months and 6 months after radiation treatment will be collected as part of this study. Disease status and survival will also be assessed from standard of care follow-up visits up to five years after completion of radiation treatment.

Inclusion criteria

• Adult (18 years or older) patients
• Diagnosed with HNC with treatment plan including definitive radiation therapy or chemotherapy/radiation therapy
• Be able to read and write in English
• Able to give informed consent and complete survey materials

Exclusion criteria

• Recurrent disease
• Metastatic disease
• Prior radiation courses must be approved by PI prior to approaching patient for enrollment (prior systemic therapy is not an exclusion to study enrollment).