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Background: Surgery is commonly favored in the management of oral cancer but radiotherapy may be essential because of the size or location of the tumor. Refusal of radiotherapy by patients is an important issue, which must be taken into consideration during treatment planning. This study assessed prevalence and correlates of radiotherapy refusal among oral cancer patients. Methods: Data was analyzed for 47, 174 oral cancer cases in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database during 1988–2008. Point estimates were calculated overall and by selected socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to determine predictors of radiotherapy refusal. Results: The overall prevalence of refusal of radiotherapy was 2.31%. Factors associated with increased likelihood of refusal of radiotherapy included age ± 45 years (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=2.48; P=0.031); gingival/floor of mouth tumors (aOR=1.32; P=0.010); receipt of surgery (aOR=1.21; P=0.04). Conversely, protective factors included being married (aOR=0.59; P |
