Are mother’s Behavior, Health Status, and Birth Experience Associated with Low Birth Weight in South Carolina? Evidence from Prams, 2004-2013

Abstract

Most SCCHN patients are referred to community medical oncologists by primary care physicians or surgeons; it was estimated that two-thirds of presenting patients are newly diagnosed and that one-third have relapsed. None of the participants routinely test, document, or alter treatment for suspected HPV etiology. HPV positivity is clinically suspected based on a limited smoking and alcohol consumption history, younger age, good performance status, and locally advanced disease. Concurrent platinum-based chemoradiotherapy is standard of care for most patients with < 10% undergoing subsequent surgery. Ancillary services (dental work, central line placement, triple endoscopy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) do not impede chemotherapy initiation. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the standard for staging with restaging PET performed 3 months after last radiation dose. IO availability appears to have resulted in eliminating the need for a repeat PET at 6-months if a 3-month PET is positive allowing patients to initiate treatment earlier. ConClusions: The increasing role of HPV in SCCHN has had minimal impact on treatment paradigms, whereas the availability of new treatment options, such as IO, has significantly altered the course of the SCCHN patient journey.