Socioeconomic and racial disparities in the selection and outcomes of a chest-wall boost in post-mastectomy radiation therapy.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (26_suppl) ◽  
pp. 14-14
Author(s):  
Clayton Burnett Hess ◽  
Kari Fish ◽  
Megan Eileen Daly ◽  
Jyoti Mayadev
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Chest Wall ◽  
White Women ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Advanced Stage ◽  
Lower Stage ◽  
The Impact

14 Background: We investigated socioeconomic and racial disparities in the selection and outcomes of patients from the California Cancer Registry receiving post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) with or without a chest-wall boost (CWB). Methods: Records of 5,586 women with invasive breast cancer, diagnosed from 2005-2009, treated with PMRT were reviewed and stratified based on treatment with (n=2,482 [44%]) or without (n=3,104 [56%]) a CWB. Race and socioeconomic status (SES) between the cohorts were analyzed. Bivariate analyses of the impact of race and socio-demographic factors on breast cancer-specific survival (BCS) and overall survival (OS) were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Adjusting for potential confounders, we used multivariate proportional hazards models to identify predictors of BCS and OS, reported as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The majority of PMRT patients were white (58%), compared to Hispanic (20%), Asian/Pacific-Islander (15%), and black (6%). Most were of high SES (50%), compared to middle (21%) or low (29%). Non-white patients were more frequently of low SES (59% vs. 40%). Hispanic frequency (61%) of advanced-stage (3-4) disease was the highest of all races. Low SES was also associated with higher stage (37% vs. 60%) compared to high SES, which comparatively presented with lower-stage (1-2) disease (42% vs. 57%, p=0.0187). Low-SES patients were more likely to receive a CWB (31 vs. 26%) while high-SES patients were less likely (48% vs. 53%, p<0.0001). White women were more likely to be treated without a CWB (60 vs. 57%), while Hispanic women were less likely (23% vs. 18%, p=0.0003). Women not treated with a CWB with low SES had a lower BCS (HR 1.541 p=0.0114) and OS (HR 1.794. p=<0.001) compared to women of high SES. Black women not treated a CWB had lower OS (HR 1.712, p=0.0249) compared to similarly-treated white women. Conclusions: Low SES and Hispanic race were associated with advanced stage, and more commonly treated with a CWB. Low-SES and black women treated without a CWB had lower OS, while the former also had lower BCS. These findings suggest that economic and racial health-care disparities contribute to worse outcomes.

Distant metastases after diagnosis: Racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1084-1084
Author(s):  
Julia Blanter ◽  
Ilana Ramer ◽  
Justina Ray ◽  
Emily J. Gallagher ◽  
Nina A. Bickell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Late Stage ◽  
White Women ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Distant Metastases ◽  
Stage At Diagnosis

1084 Background: Black women diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to have a poor prognosis, regardless of breast cancer subtype. Despite having a lower incidence rate of breast cancer when compared to white women, black women have the highest breast cancer death rate of all racial and ethnic groups, a characteristic often attributed to late stage at diagnosis. Distant metastases are considered the leading cause of death from breast cancer. We performed a follow up study of women with breast cancer in the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) to determine differences in distant metastases rates among black versus white women. Methods: Women were initially recruited as part of an NIH funded cross-sectional study from 2013-2020 to examine the link between insulin resistance (IR) and breast cancer prognosis. Women self-identified as black or white race. Data was collected via retrospective analysis of electronic medical records (EMR) between September 2020-January 2021. Distant metastases at diagnosis was defined as evidence of metastases in a secondary organ (not lymph node). Stage at diagnosis was recorded for all patients. Distant metastases after diagnosis was defined as evidence of metastases at any time after initiation of treatment. Univariate analysis was performed using Fisher’s exact test, multivariate analysis was performed by binary logistic regression, and results expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We identified 441 women enrolled in the IR study within the MSHS (340 white women, 101 black women). Median follow up time for all women was 2.95 years (median = 3.12 years for white and 2.51 years for black women (p=0.017)). Among these patients, 11 developed distant metastases after diagnosis: 4 (1.2%) white and 7 (6.9%) black (p=0.004). Multivariate analysis adjusting for age, race and stage at diagnosis revealed that black women were more likely to have distant metastasis (OR 5.8, CI 1.3-25.2), as were younger women (OR for age (years) 0.9, CI 0.9-1.0), and those with more advanced stage at diagnosis. Conclusions: Black women demonstrated a far higher percentage of distant metastases after diagnosis even when accounting for age and stage. These findings suggest that racial disparities still exist in the development of distant metastases, independent from a late-stage diagnosis. The source of existing disparities needs to be further understood and may be found in surveillance, treatment differences, or follow up.

scholarly journals Health Care Segregation, Physician Recommendation, and Racial Disparities in BRCA1/2 Testing Among Women With Breast Cancer

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (22) ◽  
pp. 2610-2618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Marie McCarthy ◽  
Mirar Bristol ◽  
Susan M. Domchek ◽  
Peter W. Groeneveld ◽  
Younji Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
White Women ◽  
Physician Recommendation ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Physician Characteristics ◽  
White Patients

Purpose Racial disparities in BRCA1/2 testing have been documented, but causes of these disparities are poorly understood. The study objective was to investigate whether the distribution of black and white patients across cancer providers contributes to disparities in BRCA1/2 testing. Patients and Methods We conducted a population-based study of women in Pennsylvania and Florida who were 18 to 64 years old and diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2007 and 2009, linking cancer registry data, the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, and patient and physician surveys. The study included 3,016 women (69% white, 31% black), 808 medical oncologists, and 732 surgeons. Results Black women were less likely to undergo BRCA1/2 testing than white women (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.48; P < .001). This difference was attenuated but not eliminated by adjustment for mutation risk, clinical factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and attitudes about testing (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P < .001). The care of black and white women was highly segregated across surgeons and oncologists (index of dissimilarity 64.1 and 61.9, respectively), but adjusting for clustering within physician or physician characteristics did not change the size of the testing disparity. Black women were less likely to report that they had received physician recommendation for BRCA1/2 testing even after adjusting for mutation risk (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.82; P < .001). Adjusting for physician recommendation further attenuated the testing disparity (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.02; P = .06). Conclusion Although black and white patients with breast cancer tend to see different surgeons and oncologists, this distribution does not contribute to disparities in BRCA1/2 testing. Instead, residual racial differences in testing after accounting for patient and physician characteristics are largely attributable to differences in physician recommendations. Efforts to address these disparities should focus on ensuring equity in testing recommendations.

scholarly journals Investigating racial disparities in use of NK1 receptor antagonists to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among breast cancer patients.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 292-292
Author(s):  
Devon Check ◽  
Katherine Elizabeth Reeder-Hayes ◽  
Ethan M. Basch ◽  
Leah L. Zullig ◽  
Morris Weinberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
White Women ◽  
Medicare Part D ◽  
Nausea And Vomiting ◽  
Medicare Part ◽  
Nk1 Receptor ◽  
Part D

292 Background: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a major concern for cancer patients and, if uncontrolled, it can have serious implications for patients’ treatment outcomes, including quality of life. Guidelines recommend the use of an NK1 receptor antagonist to prevent CINV among patients beginning chemotherapy with a high risk of causing the side effect. However, barriers to use of oral NK1s (i.e., aprepitant) exist. In many cases, patients are required to fill a prescription for aprepitant at their home pharmacy. As well, the drug is expensive, costing over $500 under Medicare Part D, and patients may be responsible for a large portion of that cost. These barriers may contribute to racial disparities as they disproportionately affect minority patients. Methods: We used 2006-2012 SEER-Medicare data to evaluate the use of NK1s among black and white women initiating adjuvant chemotherapy with an anthracylcline and cyclophosphamide for early-stage breast cancer. NK1 use during the first chemotherapy cycle was measured using Medicare Part D and Part B claims. We used modified Poisson regression to assess the relationship between race and (1) any NK1 use, (2) oral NK1 (aprepitant) use, and (3) intravenous NK1 (fosaprepitant) use. We report adjusted risk ratios (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of 1,015 eligible women (911 white; 104 black), 38% of white and 28% of black women received any NK1 at the start of their chemotherapy regimen. In adjusted analyses, black women were 30% less likely than white women to receive any NK1 (aRR black vs. white: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52-0.94). This disparity was driven by a 44% gap in orally administered NK1s (aprepitant) (aRR: 0.56 95% CI: 0.35-0.89). We did not observe disparities in intravenous fosaprepitant use (aRR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.46-1.28, NS). After controlling for variables related to socioeconomic status, disparities in NK1 and aprepitant use were reduced but not eliminated. Conclusions: Our study found racial disparities in women’s use of oral NK1s for the prevention of CINV. These disparities may be partly explained by racial differences in women’s ability to afford the medication.

scholarly journals Racial Differences in Patterns of Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Patients With Breast Cancer

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen Kimmick ◽  
Fabian Camacho ◽  
Kristi Long Foley ◽  
Edward A. Levine ◽  
Rajesh Balkrishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Adjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Low Income ◽  
White Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adjuvant Radiation ◽  
Adjuvant Radiation Therapy

Purpose Suboptimal care among minority and low-income patients may explain poorer survival. There is little information describing patterns of health care in Medicaid-insured women with breast cancer in the United States. Using a previously created and validated database linking Medicaid claims and state-wide tumor registry data, we describe patterns of breast cancer care within a low-income population. Methods Sample characteristics were described by frequencies and means. Logistic regressions were used to determine predictors of type of surgery, use of radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery (BCS), and use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Results The sample consisted of 974 women. The dataset included only white (58%) and black (42%) women. Sixty-seven percent were treated with mastectomy; 43% received adjuvant chemotherapy; and 67% of women receiving BCS received adjuvant radiation. In multivariate analysis, predictors of BCS were young age, black race, and smaller tumor size. Furthermore, there was a trend toward more black than white women with tumors 4 cm or larger having BCS (18% v 8%; P = .06). Race was not related to use of adjuvant radiation therapy after BCS or to use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion In this group of patients with breast cancer enrolled in Medicaid, black women were more likely than white women to have BCS. Race was not associated with adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy use. Factors affecting the quality of care delivered to low-income and minority patients are complex, and better care lies in exploring areas that need improvement.

Racial Disparities in Treatment and Survival of Male Breast Cancer

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1089-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine D. Crew ◽  
Alfred I. Neugut ◽  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Judith S. Jacobson ◽  
Victor R. Grann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Male Breast Cancer ◽  
Male Breast ◽  
Advanced Stage ◽  
Breast Cancer Specific Mortality ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Specific Mortality ◽  
Cancer Specific Mortality

Purpose Black women with breast cancer have poorer survival than do white women, but little is known about racial disparities in male breast cancer. We analyzed race and other predictors of treatment and survival among men with stage I-III breast cancer. Patients and Methods We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database to identify men 65 years of age or older diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer from 1991 to 2002. Multivariate regression was used to compare those treated with those not treated with either chemotherapy or radiation therapy, adjusting for known clinical and demographic factors. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze survival. Results Of 510 male breast cancer cases (456 white, 34 black), 94% underwent mastectomy, 28% received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 29% received radiation therapy. Among those with known hormone receptors, 95% had hormone-sensitive tumors. In a multivariate analysis, chemotherapy was associated with younger age, advanced stage, and hormone receptor–negative tumors. Radiation therapy was associated with younger age and advanced stage. Black men were approximately 50% less likely to undergo consultation with an oncologist and subsequently receive chemotherapy; however, the results did not reach statistical significance. The breast cancer–specific mortality hazard ratio was more than tripled for black versus white men (hazard ratio = 3.29; 95% CI, 1.10 to 9.86). Conclusion After adjustment for known clinical, demographic, and treatment factors, there was an association of black race with increased male breast cancer–specific mortality. Although male breast cancer is rare, the reasons for these disparities need to be better understood.

scholarly journals Racial Disparities in Cancer Presentation and Outcomes: The Contribution of Overdiagnosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea R Marcadis ◽  
Louise Davies ◽  
Jennifer L Marti ◽  
Luc G T Morris
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Papillary Thyroid Cancer ◽  
White Women ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Papillary Thyroid ◽  
Advanced Tumor ◽  
Black Populations

Abstract Background Racial disparities in cancer have been attributed to population differences in access to care. Differences in cancer overdiagnosis rates are another, less commonly considered cause of disparities. Here, we examine the contribution of overdiagnosis to observed racial disparities in papillary thyroid cancer and estrogen/progesterone receptor positive (ER/PR+) breast cancer. Methods We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, End-Results (SEER) 13 for analysis of white and black non-Hispanic persons with papillary thyroid cancer or ER/PR+ breast cancer (1992–2014). Analyses were performed using SeerStat (v8.3.5, March 2018). All statistical tests were two-sided. Results White persons had higher incidence of papillary thyroid cancer than black persons (14.3 vs 7.7 cases per 100 000 age-adjusted population) and ER/PR+ breast cancer (94.8 vs 70.9 cases per 100 000 age-adjusted population) (P &lt; .001). In papillary thyroid cancer, the entire incidence difference was from more frequent diagnosis of 2-cm or less (10.0 vs 4.9 cases per 100 000 population) and localized or regional (13.8 vs 7.4 cases per 100 000 population) cancers in white persons (P &lt; .001), without corresponding excess of metastatic disease, cancers greater than 4 cm, or incidence-based mortality in black persons. In women with ER/PR+ breast cancer, 95% of the incidence difference was from more 2-cm or less (61.2 vs 38.1 cases per 100 000 population) or 2.1- to 5-cm (25.4 vs 23.4 cases per 100 000 population), localized (65.1 vs 43.0 cases per 100 000 population) cancers diagnosed in white women (P &lt; .001), with slightly higher incidence of tumors greater than 5 cm (10.1 vs 9.3 cases per 100 000 population, P &lt; .001) and incidence-based mortality (8.1 vs 7.2 cases per 100 000 population, P &lt; .001) among black women. Overall, 20–30 additional small or localized ER/PR+ breast cancers were diagnosed in white compared with black women for every large or advanced tumor avoided by early detection. Overdiagnosis was estimated 1.3–2.5 times (papillary thyroid cancer) and 1.7–5.7 times (ER/PR+ breast cancer) higher in white compared with black populations. Conclusions Differences in low-risk cancer identification among populations lead to overestimation of racial disparities. Estimates of overdiagnosed cases should be considered to improve care and eliminate disparities while minimizing harms of overdiagnosis.

Changes in black-white disparity in receipt of guideline concordant treatment for women with early-stage breast tumors.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19089-e19089
Author(s):  
Hasan Nadeem ◽  
John Romley ◽  
Shaneda Warren-Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Black Women ◽  
White Women ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Breast Tumors ◽  
Breast Conserving Surgery ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Period 2

e19089 Background: Racial disparities are well documented in the treatment of women with breast cancer. Whereas clinical treatment guidelines are established for early stage breast tumors, disparities in guideline-concordant (GC) treatment may influence variation in breast cancer outcomes. As such, we investigated differences in the receipt of GC treatment for black and white women with early-stage breast cancer between 2008 and 2016. Methods: We evaluated the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry (SEER) Incidence database for black and white women aged 20-64 years with stage I / stage II breast tumors. Primary analyses investigated associations between race and receipt of GC treatment in three chronological periods. Potential driving factors for trends in receipt of guideline-concordant treatment were also assessed. Results: Among 145,561 women diagnosed with early stage breast tumors, overall receipt of GC care decreased from 84.58% in 2008 to 83.89% in 2016. In period 1 (2008-2010), there was a prominent disparity between black and white women (81.89% black vs 86.24% white; p < 0.001). By period 3 (2014-2016), GC care increased for black women (84.29%) but decreased for white women (84.82%), eliminating the disparity (p = 0.276). Multivariate logistic regression on changes in the black-white disparity across the study period showed increased receipt of GC treatment for black women relative to white women in period 2 (2011-2013, odds ratio [OR], 1.202; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.075 – 1.344) and period 3 (OR, 1.376; 95% CI, 1.212 – 1.505). For black women undergoing breast conserving surgery, administration of radiation therapy increased from 44.01% in period 1 to 50.64% in period 3 (p < 0.001) and was a prominent driver for increased GC care. Conclusions: Overall receipt of guideline-concordant treatment decreased from 2008-2016. Black women experienced a substantial increase in receipt of guideline-concordant care in period 2 (2011-2013) and period 3 (2014-2016) relative to white women. Delivery and completion of radiation therapy with breast conserving surgery increased the likelihood of receipt of guideline-concordant treatment.

Racial Disparities in Pregnancy-associated Intimate Partner Homicide

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199083
Author(s):  
Aaron J. Kivisto ◽  
Samantha Mills ◽  
Lisa S. Elwood
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
White Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
Homicide Victimization ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Pregnancy-associated femicide accounts for a mortality burden at least as high as any of the leading specific obstetric causes of maternal mortality, and intimate partners are the most common perpetrators of these homicides. This study examined pregnancy-associated and non-pregnancy-associated intimate partner homicide (IPH) victimization among racial/ethnic minority women relative to their non-minority counterparts using several sources of state-level data from 2003 through 2017. Data regarding partner homicide victimization came from the National Violent Death Reporting System, natality data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, and relevant sociodemographic information was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Findings indicated that pregnancy and racial/ethnic minority status were each associated with increased risk for partner homicide victimization. Although rates of non-pregnancy-associated IPH victimization were similar between Black and White women, significant differences emerged when limited to pregnancy-associated IPH such that Black women evidenced pregnancy-associated IPH rates more than threefold higher than that observed among White and Hispanic women. Relatedly, the largest intraracial discrepancies between pregnant and non-pregnant women emerged among Black women, who experienced pregnancy-associated IPH victimization at a rate 8.1 times greater than their non-pregnant peers. These findings indicate that the racial disparities in IPH victimization in the United States observed in prior research might be driven primarily by the pronounced differences among the pregnant subset of these populations.

scholarly journals The impact of sociodemographic factors on the utilization of radiation therapy in breast cancer patients in Estonia: a register-based study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fereshteh Shahrabi Farahani ◽  
Keiu Paapsi ◽  
Kaire Innos
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Cancer Registry ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Stage I ◽  
Equal Access ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Radiation therapy is an important part of multimodal breast cancer treatment. The aim was to examine the impact of sociodemographic factors on radiation therapy use in breast cancer (BC) patients in Estonia, linking cancer registry data to administrative databases. Methods Estonian Cancer Registry provided data on women diagnosed with BC in Estonia in 2007–2018, including TNM stage at diagnosis. Use of radiation therapy within 12 months of diagnosis was determined from Estonian Health Insurance Funds claims, and sociodemographic characteristics from population registry. Receipt of radiation therapy was evaluated over time and by clinical and sociodemographic factors. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to calculate univariate and multivariate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for receipt of radiation therapy among stage I–III BC patients age < 70 years who underwent primary surgery. Results Overall, of 8637 women included in the study, 4310 (50 %) received radiation therapy within 12 months of diagnosis. This proportion increased from 39 to 58 % from 2007 to 2009 to 2016–2018 (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that compared to women with stage I BC, those with more advanced stage were less likely to receive radiation therapy. Receipt of radiation therapy increased significantly over time and was nearly 40 % higher in 2016–2018 than in 2007–2009. Use of radiation therapy was significantly lower for women with the lowest level of education compared to those with a university degree (PRR 0.88, 95 % CI 0.80–0.97), and for divorced/widowed women (PRR 0.95, 95 % CI 0.91–0.99) and single women (PRR 0.92, 95 % CI 0.86–0.99), compared to married women. Age at diagnosis, nationality and place of residence were not associated with receipt of radiation therapy. Conclusions The study showed considerable increase in the use of radiation therapy in Estonia over the study period, which is in line with increases in available equipment. The lack of geographic variations suggests equal access to therapy for patients living in remote regions. However, educational level and marital status were significantly associated with receipt of radiation therapy, highlighting the importance of psychosocial support in ensuring equal access to care.

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