Publication Date:
2021-04-12
Description:
Background Disparities in colon cancer outcomes have been reported across race and socioeconomic status which may reflect, in part, access to care. We sought to assess the influences of race and median household income (MHI) on outcomes among colon cancer patients with similar access to care. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational study of 1206 stage III colon cancer patients enrolled in the CALGB 89803 randomized adjuvant chemotherapy trial. Race was self-reported by 1116 White and 90 Black patients at study enrollment; MHI was determined by matching 973 patients’ home zip codes with publicly-available United States Census 2000 data. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for baseline sociodemographic, clinical, dietary, and lifestyle factors. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results Over a median follow-up of 7.7 years, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for Blacks (compared to Whites) were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66–1.35; P = .75) for disease-free survival, 0.91 (95%CI = 0.62–1.35; P = .65) for recurrence-free survival, and 1.07 (95%CI = 0.73–1.57; P = .73) for overall survival. Relative to patients in the highest MHI quartile, the adjusted HRs for patients in the lowest quartile were 0.90 (95%CI, 0.67–1.19; Ptrend=0.18) for disease-free survival, 0.89 (95%CI = 0.66–1.22; Ptrend=0.14) for recurrence-free survival, and 0.87 (95%CI = 0.63–1.19; Ptrend=0.23) for overall survival. Conclusion In this study of patients with similar healthcare access, no statistically significant differences in outcomes were found by race or MHI. The substantial gaps in outcomes previously observed by race and MHI may not be rooted in differences in tumor biology, but in access to quality care.
Electronic ISSN:
2515-5091
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Medicine
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