Featured Publications
Guideline - Adherence in advanced stage head and neck cancer is associated with improved survival – A National study
Cohen O, Brauer PR, Judson BL, Burtness BA, Earles J, Mehra S. Guideline - Adherence in advanced stage head and neck cancer is associated with improved survival – A National study. Oral Oncology 2021, 125: 105694. PMID: 34971883, DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2021.105694.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOverall survivalNCCN guidelinesGuideline adherenceAdherence ratesNeck cancerAdvanced stage HNCGuideline adherence rateOverall stage IIINational Cancer DatabaseDecreased overall survivalAdvanced-stage headPrevalence of guidelinesComorbidity scoreAdherent patientsAdvanced headClinical stagingImproved survivalGuideline awarenessHNC patientsBlack raceInsurance statusNational cohortCancer DatabaseRisk factorsFemale gender
2024
Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Factors Driving Palliative Care Use in Head and Neck Cancer.
Fereydooni S, Valdez C, William L, Malik D, Mehra S, Judson B. Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Factors Driving Palliative Care Use in Head and Neck Cancer. Otolaryngology 2024 PMID: 38796734, DOI: 10.1002/ohn.819.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPalliative careAssociated with palliative carePC usePalliative care useAnderson Behavioral ModelHealth service useHigher incomePrivate insuranceHead and neck cancerNational Cancer DatabaseHigher comorbidity indexMultivariate logistic regressionCare useService useMonths of lifeNeed factorsInformational counselingEnabling factorsHispanic ethnicityPC indicatorsCancer DatabaseNeck cancerBlack raceRetrospective studyCurative treatment
2022
Impact of HIV infection on clinical outcomes among people diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
Salahuddin S, Cohen O, Wu M, Irizarry J, Vega T, Gan G, Deng Y, Isaeva N, Schalper K, Mehra S, Yarbrough W, Emu B. Impact of HIV infection on clinical outcomes among people diagnosed with head and neck cancer. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2022, 40: e18080-e18080. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.e18080.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomaCD8 T cell infiltrationPD-L1 expressionUninfected patientsT cell infiltrationPoor outcomeHNC patientsInsurance statusRace/ethnicityMedian survivalQuantitative immunofluorescenceIndependent predictorsClinical outcomesViral loadCell infiltrationNeck cancerAnatomic sitesTobacco useMultivariate analysisLow PD-L1 expressionCombination antiretroviral therapy eraTumor microenvironmentAntiretroviral therapy eraMedian CD4 countHIV viral load
2021
A 2020 Update on Public Awareness of Head and Neck Cancers
Torabi SJ, Kasle DA, Su-Velez B, Mehra S, Day TA, Yarbrough WG, St. John M, Judson BL. A 2020 Update on Public Awareness of Head and Neck Cancers. Otolaryngology 2021, 166: 305-312. PMID: 33845657, DOI: 10.1177/01945998211006932.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHuman papillomavirusHPV's roleNeck cancerNeck Cancer Awareness WeekKnowledge of HNCSigns/symptomsFormer tobacco usersCross-sectional surveyFormer smokersOropharyngeal cancerRisk factorsTobacco usersElderly individualsRisk populationsAwareness rateUS populationOlder individualsFuture outreach effortsCancerCausal roleHNCAwareness WeekUS CensusExposureHead
2020
The role of vitamin D in head and neck cancer
Izreig S, Hajek M, Edwards HA, Mehra S, Sasaki C, Judson BL, Rahmati RW. The role of vitamin D in head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology 2020, 5: 1079-1088. PMID: 33364397, PMCID: PMC7752058, DOI: 10.1002/lio2.469.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVitamin DIntensive multi-modal therapyNeck squamous cell carcinomaManagement of HNSCCRise of immunotherapySet of malignanciesSquamous cell carcinomaMulti-modal therapyTreatment of HNSCCActive hormone calcitriolLimited data existsConsiderable morbiditySignificant morbiditySafe interventionCell carcinomaNeck cancerHormone calcitriolPatient outcomesEffective modalityHNSCCAdvanced stageMEDLINE databaseAvailable evidenceCalcium physiologyMorbidity
2018
HPV status in unknown primary head and neck cancer: Prognosis and treatment outcomes
Cheraghlou S, Torabi SJ, Husain ZA, Otremba MD, Osborn HA, Mehra S, Yarbrough WG, Burtness BA, Judson BL. HPV status in unknown primary head and neck cancer: Prognosis and treatment outcomes. The Laryngoscope 2018, 129: 684-691. PMID: 30151832, DOI: 10.1002/lary.27475.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHPV-negative patientsTreatment deintensificationCN3 diseaseHPV statusNeck cancerUnivariate Kaplan-Meier analysisTumor human papillomavirus (HPV) statusCox survival regressionHPV-negative diseaseIdentifiable primary tumorUnknown primary headHPV-positive patientsHuman papillomavirus (HPV) statusTumor HPV statusKaplan-Meier analysisTreatment-related outcomesSignificant prognostic valuePoor patient survivalCases of headDefinitive chemoradiotherapyDefinitive radiotherapyMetastatic nodesNodal classificationUnknown primaryTherapeutic challenge
2015
National treatment patterns in patients presenting with Stage IVC head and neck cancer: analysis of the National Cancer Database
Schwam ZG, Burtness B, Yarbrough WG, Mehra S, Husain Z, Judson BL. National treatment patterns in patients presenting with Stage IVC head and neck cancer: analysis of the National Cancer Database. Cancer Medicine 2015, 4: 1828-1835. PMID: 26471244, PMCID: PMC5123708, DOI: 10.1002/cam4.546.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCombined Modality TherapyComorbidityDatabases, FactualFemaleHead and Neck NeoplasmsHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm MetastasisNeoplasm StagingPopulation SurveillanceRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsTreatment OutcomeUnited StatesYoung AdultConceptsNational Cancer DatabaseSystemic therapyPalliative therapyTreatment patternsNeck cancerCancer DatabaseClinical trialsMedicaid/uninsured statusCox proportional hazards analysisCommon treatment regimenNational treatment patternsCharlson comorbidity scorePrimary disease siteRetrospective cohort analysisProportional hazards analysisRisk of deathNeck cancer patientsMedicare/Comorbidity scoreMetastatic headOverall survivalSystemic treatmentTreatment regimenDistant metastasisKaplan-Meier