Abstract C137: Exploring cardiotoxicity risk factors among patients diagnosed with breast cancer

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Heart disease is the second most common cause of death for cancer survivors after their cancer diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with cancer, especially those with left-side breast cancer are at higher risk for treatment related toxicity. This burden is exacerbated for vulnerable patients that experience structural and chronic risk factors such as language barriers and disability which contribute to poorer survival. This study compared multi-level factors and their effect on age of diagnosis. Methods We explored a diverse population of N=1795 patient electronic medical records for patients diagnosed with left-side breast cancer and compared characteristics of patients by age, race, ethnicity, history of heart disease, disability status. Descriptive and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA models were used to compare groups. Results The mostly female cohort of language diverse patients had an average of 66 years, most were White (64.5%), retired (52.1%), and on Medicare (43.2%). Approximately 17.8% were Latine and 13.3% needed an interpreter. Disability status was 9.7% and 8.8% had a history of heart disease. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer who were disabled were younger compared to those without a disability (60 yrs vs 67, p<.0001). When we compared language proficiency, we found this difference persisted as patients with a disability and were limited English were younger compared to patients that experienced neither (61yrs vs 67, p<.0001). Discussion This exploratory analysis is one of the first to explore the role of disability among minoritized and limited English proficient patients with breast cancer. More research is necessary to understand how to best plan and support diverse and disabled patients diagnosed with cancer to minimize their risk and improve outcomes. Citation Format: Melody K Schiaffino, Van "Vannie" K. Nguyen, Dominique Rash, Alicia Fernandez. Exploring cardiotoxicity risk factors among patients diagnosed with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C137.