Work

Retrospective competing risk analysis of cancer specific and other cause death in older patients with major salivary gland carcinoma

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Older patients with major salivary gland carcinoma may face substantial mortality from causes other than cancer. We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to characterize competing cancer-specific death (CSD) and other-cause death (OCD) among patients aged ≥ 75 years diagnosed during 2004–2018. Cumulative incidence functions estimated absolute event probabilities, and multivariable Fine–Gray models identified predictors of each outcome. Among 4,259 patients, 1,529 experienced CSD and 2,020 experienced OCD; OCD accounted for 56.9% of all deaths. Five-year cumulative incidences were 33.2% for CSD and 29.7% for OCD. CSD was associated mainly with high grade, advanced stage, larger tumor size, positive lymph node involvement, and surgery status, whereas OCD was associated predominantly with age. Although 5-year CSD remained slightly higher, OCD became increasingly prominent during longer follow-up. Principal patterns were consistent after exclusion of SCC-coded tumors and multiple imputation, although several associations varied over follow-up in time-varying analyses. These results support competing-risk methods and geriatric-informed prognostic assessment in older patients with major salivary gland carcinoma.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-67900-4