Geographic variation in Medicare treatment costs and outcomes for advanced head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNC) refers to a heterogeneous group of malignancies that in the US afflicts 61,000 patients annually. The treatment of these diseases is complex and requires the input of several medical specialties and support services. While early stage HNC can be treated by single modality therapy, more advanced cases of disease require a multi-modality approach, which dramatically increases costs. Complex treatments result in a greater chance of variation in practice among providers and costs may vary substantially.

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