Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate practice patterns and outcomes between intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and 3D‐conformal radiation (3D‐CRT) in early stage glottic cancer. Methods The linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare database was used to identify and compare patient and disease profiles, mortality, and toxicity in patients with T1‐2 larynx cancer undergoing definitive radiation (RT). Results A total of 1520 patients underwent definitive radiation with 3D‐CRT (n = 1309) or IMRT (n = 211). Non‐white race, those with a Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2, T2 disease, and those treated at community practices were more likely to undergo IMRT. Rates of IMRT increased from 2006 to 2015, while relative rates of 3D‐CRT decreased. Two‐year CSS was superior with 3D‐CRT (hazard ratio [HR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22–0.65; p < 0.001). There was no difference in OS between 3D‐CRT and IMRT (p = 0.119). Conclusions Patients receiving 3D‐CRT had improved CSS compared to IMRT with no difference in OS.

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Purpose Adjuvant chemotherapy reduces recurrence in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, data are lacking evaluating anthracycline + taxane (ATAX) versus taxane-based (TAX) chemotherapy in older women with node-negative TNBC, as they are often excluded from trials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjuvant ATAX versus TAX on cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in older patients with node-negative TNBC. Patients and methods Using the SEER-Medicare database, we selected patients aged ≥ 66 years diagnosed with Stage T1-4N0M0 TNBC between 2010 and 2015 (N = 3348). Kaplan–Meier survival curves and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate 3-year OS and CSS. Multivariant Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with use of ATAX compared to TAX. Results Approximately half (N = 1679) of patients identified received chemotherapy and of these, 58.6% (N = 984) received TAX, 25.0% (N = 420) received ATAX, and 16.4% (N = 275) received another regimen. Three-year CSS and OS was improved with any adjuvant chemotherapy from 88.9 to 92.2% (p = 0.0018) for CSS and 77.2% to 88.6% for OS (p < 0.0001). In contrast, treatment with ATAX compared to TAX was associated with inferior 3-year CSS and OS. Three-year CSS was 93.7% with TAX compared to 89.8% (p = 0.048) for ATAX and OS was 91.0% for TAX and 86.4% for ATAX (p = 0.032). Conclusion While adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved clinical outcomes, the administration of ATAX compared to TAX was associated with inferior 3-year OS and CSS in older women with node-negative TNBC. The use of adjuvant ATAX should be considered carefully in this patient population.

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