Abstract A099: Higher proportions of racial and ethnic minority cancer survivors experience health-related social needs compared to non-Hispanic cancer survivors in the All of Us Research Program

Abstract

Abstract Background: Cancer survivors are at a greater risk of experiencing financial hardship and unmet health-related social needs (HRSN), such as food or housing insecurity, after a cancer diagnosis. HRSN has been associated with lower access, utilization, and delivery of timely quality cancer care and poorer cancer-related outcomes. Cancer survivors experiencing HRSN may also be less likely to engage and participate in research (e.g., clinical trials). As the most diverse cohort worldwide, the All of Us Research Program provides a unique opportunity to better understand the prevalence of HRSN among cancer survivors. The purpose of this study is to characterize the proportion of All of Us cancer survivors experiencing food and housing insecurity and identify potential differences across racial and ethnic populations. Results: We identified a total of 37,146 All of Us cancer survivors out of 412,211 core participants. Of these, the majority self-identified as non-Hispanic White (84%), 4% as non-Hispanic Black, 4% as Hispanic, 2% as multiracial, and <1% self-reported as Asian, Native American/American Indian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or Middle Eastern/North African. Among cancer survivors, 5.5% stated being worried about running out of food and 4.4% stated that their food didn’t last and did not have money to get more. While only about 1% of cancer survivors stated moving more than once within the last 12 months, 6.1% stated that they worried about not having a place to live and 16% experienced at least one poor housing quality characteristic (e.g., mold, water leak, or bug infestation). There was a significant difference in the proportion of cancer patients who reported food and housing insecurity across racial and ethnic populations (p<0.001), with a higher proportion of cancer survivors from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in biomedical research experiencing these HRSN. Conclusion: While less than 6% of cancer survivors in the All of Us Program experienced food or housing insecurity, the proportion of racial and ethnic minority populations experiencing these HRSN was higher compared to non-Hispanic White cancer survivors. Future research should assess the impact of experiencing HRSN on research participation and health related outcomes within the All of Us Research Program. Citation Format: JoAnn Smith, Samantha Tesfaye, Martin Mendoza, Janeth Sanchez. Higher proportions of racial and ethnic minority cancer survivors experience health-related social needs compared to non-Hispanic cancer survivors in the All of Us Research Program [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A099.