ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes continue to improve, but they vary significantly by race and ethnicity. We hypothesize that these disparities arise from unequal access to care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Harris Health System (HHS) is an integrated health delivery network that provides medical care to the underserved, predominantly minority population of Harris County, Texas. As the largest HHS facility and an affiliate of Baylor College of Medicine's Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ben Taub Hospital (BTH) delivers cancer care through multidisciplinary subspecialty that prioritize access to care, adherence to evidence-based clinical pathways, integration of supportive services, and mitigation of financial toxicity. We performed a retrospective analysis of minority patients diagnosed with and treated for metastatic CRC at BTH between January 2010 and December 2012. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared with survival curves from randomized control trials reported during that time period. RESULTS: We identified 103 patients; 40% were black, 49% were Hispanic, and 12% were Asian or Middle Eastern. Thirty-five percent reported a language other than English as their preferred language. Seventy-four percent of patients with documented coverage status were uninsured. Eighty-four percent of patients received standard chemotherapy with a clinician-reported response rate of 63%. Overall survival for BTH patients undergoing chemotherapy was superior to that of subjects enrolled in the CRYSTAL (Cetuximab Combined with Irinotecan in First-Line Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer) trial (median, 24.0 vs. 19.9 months; P = .014). CONCLUSION: HHS provides a health delivery infrastructure through which minority patients with socioeconomic challenges experience clinical outcomes comparable with highly selected patients enrolled in randomized control trials. Efforts to resolve CRC disparities should focus on improving access of at-risk populations to high-quality comprehensive cancer care.