Disparities in treatment and survival in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in California.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Curative intent therapy is the standard of care for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, these therapies are under-utilized, with several treatment and survival disparities. We sought to demonstrate whether the type of facility and distance from treatment center (with transplant capabilities) contributed to disparities in curative-intent treatment and survival for early-stage HCC in California. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the California Cancer Registry for patients diagnosed with stage I or II primary HCC between 2005 and 2017. Primary and secondary outcomes were receipt of treatment and overall survival, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression and Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression were used to evaluate associations. RESULTS: Of 19 059 patients with early-stage HCC, only 36% (6778) received curative-intent treatment. Compared to Non-Hispanic White patients, Hispanic patients were less likely, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients were more likely to receive curative-intent treatment. Our results showed that rural residence, public insurance, lower neighborhood SES, and care at non-National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center were associated with not receiving treatment and decreased survival. CONCLUSIONS: Although multiple factors influence receipt of treatment for early-HCC, our findings suggest that early intervention programs should target travel barriers and access to specialist care to help improve oncologic outcomes.

Stage at diagnosis and survival among adolescents and young adults with lymphomas following the Affordable Care Act implementation in California.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years) are the largest uninsured population in the Unites States, increasing the likelihood of late-stage cancer diagnosis and poor survival. We evaluated the associations between the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurance coverage, stage at diagnosis and survival among AYAs with lymphoma. We used data from the California Cancer Registry linked to Medicaid enrollment files on AYAs diagnosed with a primary non-Hodgkin (NHL; n = 5959) or Hodgkin (n = 5378) lymphoma pre-ACA and in the early and full ACA eras. Health insurance was categorized as continuous Medicaid, discontinuous Medicaid, Medicaid enrollment at diagnosis/uninsurance, other public and private. We used multivariable regression models for statistical analyses. The proportion of AYAs uninsured/Medicaid enrolled at diagnosis decreased from 13.4% pre-ACA to 9.7% with full ACA implementation, while continuous Medicaid increased from 9.3% to 29.6% during this time (P < .001). After full ACA, AYAs with NHL were less likely to be diagnosed with Stage IV disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.73-0.97). AYAs with lymphoma were more likely to receive care at National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.28-1.57) and had lower likelihood of death (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.46-0.63) after full ACA. However, AYAs from the lowest socioeconomic neighborhoods, racial/ethnic minority groups and those with Medicaid continued to experience worse survival. In summary, AYAs with lymphomas experienced increased access to healthcare and better clinical outcomes following Medicaid expansion under the ACA. Yet, socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities remain, calling for additional efforts to decrease health inequities among underserved AYAs with lymphoma.

Life-years lost due to cancer among solid organ transplant recipients in the United States, 1987 to 2014.

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients have an elevated risk of cancer. Quantifying the life-years lost (LYL) due to cancer provides a complementary view of the burden of cancer distinct from other metrics and may identify subgroups of transplant recipients who are most affected. METHODS: Linked transplant and cancer registry data were used to identify incident cancers and deaths among solid organ transplant recipients in the United States (1987-2014). Data on LYL due to cancer within 10 years posttransplant were derived using mean survival estimates from Cox models. RESULTS: Among 221,962 transplant recipients, 13,074 (5.9%) developed cancer within 10 years of transplantation. During this period, the mean LYL due to cancer were 0.16 years per transplant recipient and 2.7 years per cancer case. Cancer was responsible for a loss of 1.9% of the total life-years expected in the absence of cancer in this population. Lung recipients had the highest proportion of total LYL due to cancer (0.45%) followed by heart recipients (0.29%). LYL due to cancer increased with age, from 0.5% among those aged birth to 34 years at transplant to 3.2% among those aged 50 years and older. Among recipients overall, lung cancer was the largest contributor, accounting for 24% of all LYL due to cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma had the next highest contribution (15%). CONCLUSIONS: Transplant recipients have a shortened lifespan after developing cancer. Lung cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma contribute strongly to LYL due to cancer within the first 10 years after transplant, highlighting opportunities to reduce cancer mortality through prevention and screening.

Symptomatic presentation of cervical cancer in emergency departments in California.

PURPOSE: Through screening and HPV vaccination, cervical cancer can mostly be prevented or detected very early, before symptoms develop. However, cervical cancer persists, and many women are diagnosed at advanced stages. Little is known about the degree to which U.S. women may begin their diagnostic workup for cervical cancer in Emergency Departments (ED). We sought to quantify the proportion of women presenting symptomatically in the ED prior to their diagnosis with cervical cancer and to describe their characteristics and outcomes. METHODS: We identified women diagnosed from 2006 to 2017 with cervical cancer in the California Cancer Registry. We linked this cohort to statewide ED discharge records to determine ED use and symptoms present at the encounter. Multivariable logistic regression models examined associations with ED use and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models examined associations with survival. RESULTS: Of the more than 16,000 women with cervical cancer in the study cohort, 28% presented symptomatically in the ED prior to diagnosis. Those presenting symptomatically were more likely to have public (odds ratio [OR] 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.27) or no insurance (OR 4.81; CI 4.06-5.71) (vs. private), low socioeconomic status (SES) (OR 1.76; CI 1.52-2.04), late-stage disease (OR 5.29; CI 4.70-5.96), and had a 37% increased risk of death (CI 1.28-1.46). CONCLUSION: Nearly a third of women with cervical cancer presented symptomatically, outside of a primary care setting, suggesting that many women, especially those with low SES, may not be benefiting from screening or healthcare following abnormal results.

The influence of the Affordable Care Act-Dependent Care Expansion on insurance coverage among young cancer survivors in California: an updated analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess changes in health insurance coverage for young cancer patients pre- and post- the Affordable Care Act-Dependent Care Expansion (ACA-DCE) implementation in California. Further, we examined differences in insurance coverage by socioeconomic and race/ethnicity. METHODS: Data were obtained from the California Cancer Registry and Medicaid enrollment files, from 2005 to 2014. We conducted difference-in-difference analyses among 7042 cancer patients aged 22-25 years ("intervention group") and 25,269 aged 26-34 years ("control group"). We also examined the independent and combined effects of race/ethnicity and neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) on insurance coverage. RESULTS: After the ACA-DCE implementation, we observed a 52.7% reduction in the proportion of uninsured and a 35.7% increase in the proportion of privately insured patients. There was also a 17.3% reduction in Medicaid at cancer diagnosis and a 27.5% reduction in discontinuous Medicaid enrollment. However, these benefits were limited to patients of non-Hispanic White, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander race/ethnicity living in higher nSES, with no differences in insurance enrollment among young adults who lived in low nSES or those of Black race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: The ACA-DCE broadened insurance coverage for young adults with cancer in California. Yet, only certain subgroups of patients have benefited from this policy.

Impact of insurance type and timing of Medicaid enrollment on survival among adolescents and young adults with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with public or no insurance experience later stage at diagnosis and worse overall survival compared with those with private insurance. However, prior studies have not distinguished the survival impact of continuous Medicaid coverage prior to diagnosis compared with gaining Medicaid coverage at diagnosis. METHODS: We linked a cohort of AYAs aged 15-39 who were diagnosed with 13 common cancers from 2005 to 2014 in the California Cancer Registry with California Medicaid enrollment files to ascertain Medicaid enrollment, with other insurance determined from registry data. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the impact of insurance on survival, adjusting for clinical and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Among 62 218 AYAs, over 65% had private/military insurance, 10% received Medicaid at diagnosis, 13.2% had continuous Medicaid, 4.1% had discontinuous Medicaid, 1.7% had other public insurance, 3% were uninsured, and 2.6% had unknown insurance. Compared with those with private/military insurance, individuals with Medicaid insurance had significantly worse survival regardless of when coverage began (received Medicaid at diagnosis: hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.51 [1.42-1.61]; continuously Medicaid insured: 1.42 [1.33-1.52]; discontinuous Medicaid: 1.64 [1.49, 1.80]). Analyses of those with Medicaid insurance only demonstrated slightly worse cancer-specific survival among those with discontinuous Medicaid or enrollment at diagnosis compared with those with continuous enrollment, but results were not significant stratified by cancer site. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: AYAs with Medicaid insurance experience worse cancer-specific survival compared with those with private/military insurance, yet continuous enrollment demonstrates slight survival improvements, providing potential opportunities for future policy intervention.

Cancer-attributable mortality among solid organ transplant recipients in the United States: 1987 through 2014.

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients have an elevated risk of cancer. Quantifying deaths attributable to cancer can inform priorities to reduce cancer burden. METHODS: Linked transplantation and cancer registry data were used to identify incident cancers and deaths among solid organ transplant recipients in the United States (1987-2014). Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) of deaths due to cancer and corresponding cancer-attributable mortality rates were estimated using Cox models. RESULTS: Among 221,962 solid organ transplant recipients, 15,012 developed cancer. Approximately 13% of deaths (PAF, 13.2%) were attributable to cancer, corresponding to a cancer-attributable mortality rate of 516 per 100,000 person-years. Lung cancer was the largest contributor to mortality (PAF, 3.1%), followed by non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; PAF, 1.9%), colorectal cancer (PAF, 0.7%), and kidney cancer (PAF, 0.5%). Cancer-attributable mortality rates increased with age at transplantation, reaching 1229 per 100,000 person-years among recipients aged ≥65 years. NHL was the largest contributor among children (PAF, 4.1%) and lung cancer was the largest contributor among recipients aged ≥50 years (PAFs, 3.7%-4.3%). Heart recipients had the highest PAF (16.4%), but lung recipients had the highest cancer-attributable mortality rate (1241 per 100,000 person-years). Overall, mortality attributable to cancer increased steadily with longer time since transplantation, reaching 15.7% of deaths (810 per 100,000 person-years) at ≥10 years after transplantation. Comparison of cancer-attributable mortality rates with specified causes of death indicated that some deaths recorded as other causes might instead be caused by cancer or its treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer is a substantial cause of mortality among solid organ transplant recipients, with major contributions reported from lung cancer and NHL. Cancer-attributable mortality increases with age and time since transplantation, and therefore cancer deaths will become an increasing burden as recipients live longer.

Survival after a cancer diagnosis among solid organ transplant recipients in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Transplant recipients have an elevated risk of cancer because of immunosuppressive medications used to prevent organ rejection, but to the authors' knowledge no study to date has comprehensively examined associations between transplantation status and mortality after a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: The authors assessed cases in the US general population (N=7,147,476) for 16 different cancer types as ascertained from 11 cancer registries. The presence of a solid organ transplant prior to diagnosis (N=11,416 cancer cases) was identified through linkage with the national transplantation registry (1987-2014). Cox models were used to examine the association between transplantation status and cancer-specific mortality, adjusting for demographic characteristics and cancer stage. RESULTS: For the majority of cancers, cancer-specific mortality was higher in transplant recipients compared with other patients with cancer. The increase was particularly pronounced for melanoma (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.59; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.18-3.00) and cancers of the breast (aHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.61-2.19), bladder (aHR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.58-2.17), and colorectum (aHR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.60-1.96), but it also was increased for cancers of the oral cavity/pharynx, stomach, pancreas, kidney, and lung as well as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (aHR range, 1.21-1.47). Associations remained significant after adjustment for first-course cancer treatment and generally were stronger among patients with local-stage cancers for whom potentially curative treatment was provided, including patients with melanoma (aHR, 3.82; 95% CI, 2.94-4.97) and cancers of the colorectum (aHR, 2.77; 95% CI, 2.07-3.70), breast (aHR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.50-2.88), and prostate (aHR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.12-2.29), despite the lack of an association for prostate cancer overall. CONCLUSIONS: For multiple cancer types, transplant recipients with cancer appear to have an elevated risk of dying of their cancer, even after adjustment for stage and treatment, which may be due to impaired immunity.

Codability of industry and occupation information from cancer registry records: Differences by patient demographics, casefinding source, payor, and cancer type.

INTRODUCTION: Industry and occupation (I&O) information collected by cancer registries is useful for assessing associations among jobs and malignancies. However, systematic differences in I&O availability can bias findings. METHODS: Codability by patient demographics, payor, identifying (casefinding) source, and cancer site was assessed using I&O text from first primaries diagnosed 2011-2012 and reported to California Cancer Registry. I&O were coded to a U.S. Census code or classified as blank/inadequate/unknown, retired, or not working for pay. RESULTS: Industry was codable for 37% of cases; 50% had "unknown" and 9% "retired" instead of usual industry. Cases initially reported by hospitals, covered by preferred providers, or with known occupational etiology had highest codable industry; cases from private pathology laboratories, with Medicaid, or diagnosed in outpatient settings had least. Occupation results were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Recording usual I&O for retirees and improving linkages for reporting entities without patient access would improve I&O codability and research validity.

Underutilization of gene expression profiling for early-stage breast cancer in California.

PURPOSE: To describe the utilization of gene expression profiling (GEP) among California breast cancer patients, identify predictors of use of GEP, and evaluate how utilization of GEP influenced treatment of early-stage breast cancer. METHODS: All women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, node-negative breast cancer reported to the California Cancer Registry between January 2008 and December 2010 were linked to Oncotype DX (ODX) assay results. RESULTS: Overall, 26.7 % of 23,789 eligible patients underwent the assay during the study period. Women age 65 or older were much less likely than women under age 50 to be tested (15.1 vs. 41.4 %, p < 0.001). Black women were slightly less likely and Asian women were slightly more likely than non-Hispanic white women to undergo GEP with the ODX assay (22.2 and 28.9 vs. 26.9 %, respectively, p < 0.001). Patients residing in low SES census tracts had the lowest use of the test (8.9 %), with the proportion increasing with higher SES category. Women with Medicaid health insurance were less likely than other women to be tested (17.7 vs. 27.5 %, p < 0.001). Receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) was associated with the ODX recurrence score, although only 63 % of patients whose recurrence scores indicated a high benefit received ACT. Of patients not tested, 15 % received ACT. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly three-fourths of eligible breast cancer patients in California during the 3-year period 2008 through 2010 did not undergo GEP. As a result, it is likely that many women unnecessarily received ACT and suffered associated morbidity. In addition, some high-risk women who would have benefited most from ACT were not identified.

Patterns of locoregional treatment for nonmetastatic breast cancer by patient and health system factors.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine local definitive therapy for nonmetastatic breast cancer with the Patterns of Care Breast and Prostate Cancer (POCBP) study of the National Program of Cancer Registries (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). METHODS: POCBP medical record data were re-abstracted in 7 state/regional registry systems (Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California) to verify data quality and assess treatment patterns in the population. National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice treatment guidelines were aligned with American Joint Committee on Cancer staging at diagnosis to appraise care. RESULTS: Six thousand five hundred five of 9142 patients with registry-confirmed breast cancer were coded as having primary disease with stage 0 to IIIA tumors and were included in the study. Approximately 88% received guideline-concordant locoregional treatment. However, this outcome varied by age group: 92% of women < age 50 versus 80% of women ≥ age 70 years old received guideline care (P < 0.01). Characteristics that best discriminated receipt (no/yes) of guideline-concordant care in receiver operating curve analyses were the receipt of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) versus mastectomy (C = 0.70), patient age (C = 0.62), a greater tumor stage (C = 0.60), public insurance (C = 0.58), and the presence of at least mild comorbidity (C = 0.55). Radiation therapy (RT) after BCS was the most omitted treatment component causing nonconcordance in the study population. In multivariate regression, the effects of the treatment facility, ductal carcinoma in situ, race, and comorbidity on nonconcordant care differed by age group. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of underuse of standard therapies for breast cancer vary by age group and BCS use, with which there is a risk of omission of RT.

Epidemiologic features of borderline ovarian tumors in California: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) became no longer reportable in 2001, and few registries still collect information on these still poorly understood tumors. This study's objective was to describe epidemiologic features, trends, and survival of BOTs compared with those of low-grade (LG) and high-grade (HG) epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in the large and diverse population of California. METHODS: Data from the California Cancer Registry were used to examine demographic and tumor characteristics among women diagnosed with BOT (n = 9,786), LG-EOC (n = 3,656), and HG-EOC (n = 40,611) from 1988 to 2010. Annual percent changes in BOT and LG-EOC incidence rates were estimated using Joinpoint regression; 5-year relative survival was calculated for both BOTs and LG-EOCs by age, race/ethnicity, and histology. RESULTS: Age-adjusted incidence rates of BOT in 2009 were 3.1, 2.3, 2.2, and 1.4 per 100,000 among whites, Latinas, African Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, respectively. Incidence rates for LG-EOC decreased by 2.2 % per year; rates for BOT increased by 7.3 % per year until 1993, remained unchanged until 2006, and seemed to decline thereafter. Compared with LG-EOCs, BOTs were diagnosed in higher frequency among Latinas, at younger age, and were more likely to affect only one ovary. Overall, 5-year relative survival for BOT was 98.9 %; among women diagnosed with stage IV BOT, survival was 77.1 %. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, differences between BOTs and LG-EOCs were marked but varied substantially by histologic subtype and were far less dramatic than differences between BOTs and HG-EOCs. Findings underscore the importance of understanding these enigmatic tumors.

Cervical Cancer Stage at Diagnosis and Survival among Women ≥65 Years in California.

BACKGROUND: Through adequate screening and follow-up, cervical cancer can be prevented or detected at early-stage (stage I), which is related to excellent survival. Current guidelines recommend discontinuing screening for women ≥65 years with history of normal Pap and/or HPV tests, potentially leaving this age group vulnerable. This study examined late-stage disease in a population-based cohort. METHODS: Using California Cancer Registry data, we identified 12,442 patients ages ≥21 years with a first primary cervical cancer diagnosed during 2009-2018. Proportions of late-stage disease (stages II-IV) and early- and late-stage 5-year relative survival are presented by the age group. Among patients ages ≥65 years, multivariable logistic regression estimated associations of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with late-stage cervical cancer. RESULTS: Nearly one fifth of patients (n = 2,171, 17.4%) were ≥65 years. More women ages ≥65 years (71%) presented with late-stage disease than younger women (48% in patients ages <65). Late-stage 5-year relative survival was lower for women ≥65 years (23.2%-36.8%) compared with patients <65 (41.5%-51.5%). Characteristics associated with late-stage cervical cancer in women ≥65 years included older age [odds ratio (OR), 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.04; each year], non-adenocarcinoma histologic subtypes, and comorbidities (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.21-2.08). CONCLUSIONS: There remains a significant burden of advanced cervical cancer in women ≥65. IMPACT: Efforts should be made to better understand how the current screening paradigm is failing women of 65 years and older. Future work should focus on determining past screening history, lapses in follow-up care, and non-invasive testing approaches.

Evidence for virus-mediated oncogenesis in bladder cancers arising in solid organ transplant recipients.

A small percentage of bladder cancers in the general population have been found to harbor DNA viruses. In contrast, up to 25% of tumors of solid organ transplant recipients, who are at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer and have an overall poorer outcomes, harbor BK polyomavirus (BKPyV). To better understand the biology of the tumors and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis from potential oncoviruses, we performed whole genome and transcriptome sequencing on bladder cancer specimens from 43 transplant patients. Nearly half of the tumors from this patient population contained viral sequences. The most common were from BKPyV (N=9, 21%), JC polyomavirus (N=7, 16%), carcinogenic human papillomaviruses (N=3, 7%), and torque teno viruses (N=5, 12%). Immunohistochemistry revealed variable Large T antigen expression in BKPyV-positive tumors ranging from 100% positive staining of tumor tissue to less than 1%. In most cases of BKPyV-positive tumors, the viral genome appeared to be clonally integrated into the host chromosome consistent with microhomology-mediated end joining and coincided with focal amplifications of the tumor genome similar to other virus-mediated cancers. Significant changes in host gene expression consistent with the functions of BKPyV Large T antigen were also observed in these tumors. Lastly, we identified four mutation signatures in our cases, with those attributable to APOBEC3 and SBS5 being the most abundant. Mutation signatures associated with an antiviral drug, ganciclovir, and aristolochic acid, a nephrotoxic compound found in some herbal medicines, were also observed. The results suggest multiple pathways to carcinogenesis in solid organ transplant recipients with a large fraction being virus-associated.

Evaluation of Cancer Deaths Attributable to Tobacco in California, 2014-2019.

Importance: California's tobacco control efforts have been associated with a decrease in cancer mortality, but these estimates are based on smoking prevalence of the general population. Patient-level tobacco use information allows for more precise estimates of the proportion of cancer deaths attributable to smoking. Objective: To calculate the proportion (smoking-attributable fraction) and number (smoking-attributable cancer mortality) of cancer deaths attributable to tobacco use using patient-level data. Design, Setting, and Participants: The smoking-attributable fraction and smoking-attributable cancer mortality were calculated for a retrospective cohort of patients whose cancer was diagnosed from 2014 to 2019 with at least 1 year of follow-up using relative risks from large US prospective studies and patient-level smoking information. Follow-up continued through April 2022. A population-based cohort was identified from the California Cancer Registry. Participants included adults aged 20 years and older with a diagnosis of 1 of the 12 tobacco-related cancers (oral cavity or pharynx, larynx, esophagus, lung, liver, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, colon or rectum, cervix, and acute myeloid leukemia). Exposures: Tobacco use defined as current, former, or never. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were the smoking-attributable fraction and smoking-attributable cancer mortality for each of the 12 tobacco-related cancers over 2 time periods (2014-2016 vs 2017-2019) and by sex. Results: Among 395 459 patients with a tobacco-related cancer, most (285 768 patients [72.3%]) were older than 60 years, the majority (228 054 patients [57.7%]) were non-Hispanic White, 229 188 patients were men (58.0%), and nearly one-half (184 415 patients [46.6%]) had lung or colorectal cancers. Nearly one-half of the deaths (93 764 patients [45.8%]) in the cohort were attributable to tobacco. More than one-half (227 660 patients [57.6%]) of patients had ever used tobacco, and 69 103 patients (17.5%) were current tobacco users, which was higher than the proportion in the general population (11.7%). The overall smoking-attributable fraction of cancer deaths decreased significantly from 47.7% (95% CI, 47.3%-48.0%) in 2014 to 2016 to 44.8% (95% CI, 44.5%-45.1%) in 2017 to 2019, and this decrease was seen for both men and women. The overall smoking-attributable cancer mortality decreased by 10.2%. Conclusions and Relevance: California still has a substantial burden of tobacco use and associated cancer. The proportion of cancer deaths associated with tobacco use was almost double what was previously estimated. There was a modest but significant decline in this proportion for overall tobacco-associated cancers, especially for women.

Comorbidities and mammography use interact to explain racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer stage at diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Interactions with comorbidity burden and comorbidity-related care have not been examined as potential explanations for racial/ethnic disparities in advanced-stage breast cancer at diagnosis. METHODS: The authors used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data to determine whether comorbidity burden and comorbidity-related care are associated with stage at diagnosis, whether these associations are mediated by mammography use, and whether they explain racial/ethnic disparities. Stage at diagnosis and mammography use were analyzed in multivariate regression models, adjusting for comorbidity burden and comorbidity-race interactions among 118,742 women diagnosed with breast cancer during 1993 to 2005. RESULTS: Mammography utilization was higher among women with ≥ 3 stable comorbidities than among those without comorbidities. Advanced stage at diagnosis was associated with black race (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-1.8), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5), unstable comorbidity, and age ≥ 80 years. Mammography was protective in all racial/ethnic groups, but neither mammography use (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.3-0.3 and OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.2-0.2 for women with 1 and ≥ 2 prior mammograms, respectively) nor overall physician service use (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.7-0.8 for women with ≥ 16 visits) explained the association between race/ethnicity and stage at diagnosis. The black/white OR fell to 1.2 (95% CI, 0.9-1.5) among women with multiple stable comorbidities who received ≥ 2 screening mammograms, and 1.0 (95% CI, 0.8-1.3) among mammography users with unstable comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity burden was associated with regular mammography and earlier stage at diagnosis. Racial/ethnic disparities in late stage disease were reduced among women who received both regular mammograms and comorbidity-related care.

Urban-Rural Variations in Quality of Care Among Patients With Cancer in California.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research suggests cancer patients living in rural areas have lower quality of care, but population-based studies have yielded inconsistent results. This study examines the impact of rurality on care quality for 7 cancer types in California. METHODS: Breast, ovarian, endometrial, cervix, colon, lung, and gastric cancer patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2017 were identified in the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable logistic regression and proportional hazards models were used to assess effects of residential location on quality of care and survival. Stratified models examined the impact of treatment at National Cancer Institute designated cancer centers (NCICCs). Quality of care was evaluated using Commission on Cancer measures. Medical Service Study Areas were used to assess urban/rural status. Data were collected in 2004-2019 and analyzed in 2020. RESULTS: 989,747 cancer patients were evaluated, with 14% living in rural areas. Rural patients had lower odds of receiving radiation after breast conserving surgery compared to urban residents. Colon and gastric cancer patients had 20% and 16% lower odds, respectively, of having optimal surgery. Rural patients treated at NCICCs had greater odds of recommended surgery for most cancer types. Survival was similar among urban and rural subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Rural residence was inversely associated with receipt of recommended surgery for gastric and colon cancer patients not treated at NCICCs, and for receiving recommended radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery regardless of treatment location. Further studies investigating the impact of care location and availability of supportive services on urban-rural differences in quality of care are warranted.

Cancer Mortality Disparities among Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Populations in California.

BACKGROUND: Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) are the fastest growing minority in the United States. Cancer is the leading cause of death for AANHPIs, despite relatively lower cancer morbidity and mortality. Their recent demographic growth facilitates a detailed identification of AANHPI populations with higher cancer risk. METHODS: Age-adjusted, sex-stratified, site-specific cancer mortality rates from California for 2012 to 2017 were computed for AANHPI groups: Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Southeast Asian (i.e., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI). Regression-derived mortality rate ratios (MRR) were used to compare each AANHPI group to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). RESULTS: AANHPI men and women (total 40,740 deaths) had lower all-sites-combined cancer mortality rates (128.3 and 92.4 per 100,000, respectively) than NHWs (185.3 and 140.6) but higher mortality for nasopharynx, stomach, and liver cancers. Among AANHPIs, both NHOPIs and Southeast Asians had the highest overall rates including for colorectal, lung (men only), and cervical cancers; South Asians had the lowest. NHOPI women had 41% higher overall mortality than NHWs (MRR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25-1.58), including for breast (MRR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08-1.65) and markedly higher for endometrial cancer (MRR = 3.34; 95% CI, 2.53-4.42). CONCLUSIONS: AANHPI populations present with considerable heterogeneous cancer mortality patterns. Heightened mortality for infection, obesity, and tobacco-related cancers in Southeast Asians and NHOPI populations highlight the need for differentiated priorities and public health interventions among specific AANHPI populations. IMPACT: Not all AANHPIs have favorable cancer profiles. It is imperative to expand the focus on the currently understudied populations that bear a disproportionate cancer burden.

Ovarian cancer: predictors of early-stage diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the lack of effective screening, almost 20% of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at an early stage of disease, when the prognosis is favorable. This study sought to elucidate tumor-related, census-based socioeconomic indicators, and demographic characteristics associated with early diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: The study population included 16,228 women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer from 1996 through 2006 and reported to the California Cancer Registry. Women diagnosed with stage I tumors were compared to those diagnosed with stage III or IV disease with respect to several demographic and tumor-related characteristics. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Age at diagnosis, tumor histology, tumor size, laterality, and grade were all strongly associated with EOC early stage at diagnosis. However, after adjusting for all relevant factors in this study, other disparities were detected. Compared with white women, the likelihood of being diagnosed with early-stage disease was significantly lower among African Americans (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.55-0.92), and significantly higher among women with private insurance compared to those either uninsured or covered by Medicaid (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.18-2.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that, in addition to tumor biology, disparities in access to care may have a significant effect on the timely diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Does socioeconomic disparity in cancer incidence vary across racial/ethnic groups?

OBJECTIVE: Very few studies have simultaneously examined incidence of the leading cancers in relation to socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity in populations including Hispanics and Asians. This study aims to describe SES disparity in cancer incidence within each of four major racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander) for five major cancer sites, including female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. METHODS: Invasive cancers of the five major sites diagnosed from 1998 to 2002 (n = 376,158) in California were included in the study. Composite area-based SES measures were used to quantify SES level and to calculate cancer incidence rates stratified by SES. Relative index of inequality (RII) was generated to measure SES gradient of cancer incidence within each racial/ethnic group. RESULTS: Significant variations were detected in SES disparities across the racial/ethnic groups for all five major cancer sites. Female breast cancer and prostate cancer incidence increased with increased SES in all groups, with the trend strongest among Hispanics. Incidence of cervical cancer increased with decreased SES, with the largest gradient among non-Hispanic white women. Lung cancer incidence increased with decreased SES with the exception of Hispanic men and women, for whom SES gradient was in the opposite direction. For colorectal cancer, higher incidence was associated with lower SES in non-Hispanic whites but with higher SES in Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islander women. CONCLUSIONS: Examining SES disparity stratified by race/ethnicity enhances our understanding of the complex relationships between cancer incidence, SES, and race/ethnicity.