e20523 Background: Cancer health disparities are well described for incidence, diagnosis and treatment. Little is known about disparities among long-term survivors. Methods: At Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center and Meharry Medical College (MMC), minority serving institutional partner, we evaluated quality of life (QOL) using the FACT-G, FACT-B, FACT-L, and FACT-P; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using the PTSD Checklist (PCL); and posttraumatic growth (PTG) using the PTG Inventory (PTGI) among breast, lung or prostate cancer survivors. We used linear regression to compare the scale mean values by institution while adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Among 111 breast, 53 lung and 68 prostate cancer survivors, mean age was 62 years, 61% were female, 33% were black, 65% were married, 22% and 67% respectively had a high school degree or some college/higher education, 36% were employed and 94% were insured. MMC survivors were younger (p = 0.0005), more likely to be black (p <0.0001), less likely to be married (p < 0.0001), less educated (p<0.0001) and more likely to be uninsured (p < 0.0001). After adjusting for race, insurance status and educational level, there were no significant differences in cancer-related QOL between VICC and MMC survivors. MMC survivors did score significantly higher than VICC survivors on the PCL (33.9 vs. 28.3; p = 0.01) and the PTGI (75.9 vs. 62.5; p = 0.002). A total of 19 (8.3%) survivors met criteria for PTSD with a score of 50 or more (18.1% MMC, 3.8% VICC, p =0.003). Scores were significantly increased for MMC survivors relative to VICC survivors on all PTG subscales, especially the appreciation for life subscale (p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Cancer health disparities extend into the survivorship period. Although overall QOL did not differ, survivors treated at an underserved institution had significantly higher PTSD than those treated at a comprehensive cancer center. Underserved survivors also exhibited higher degrees of PTG. Further evaluation will identify the most significant sources of stress and resilience in order to design interventions to improve psychosocial wellbeing and decrease disparities.
Meharry Medical College–Vanderbilt–Ingram Cancer Center Partnership: Its History and Role in Cancer Health Disparities Research
