Differential delays in breast cancer treatment as a function of racial/ethnic background

Abstract

17023 Differential delays in breast cancer treatment as a function of racial/ethnic background Background: Multiple studies have identified differences in breast cancer treatment and outcome due to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate treatment disparities, both actual and temporal (i.e. time delay), in patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer as a function of racial/ethnic background. Methods: Patients at two affiliated hospitals newly diagnosed with breast cancer were identified and classified from discharge billing data. Time to treatment was defined as the time in days between biopsy proven diagnosis and initiation of treatment including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, lumpectomy and mastectomy. Nonparametric Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using the Kruskal-Wallis Test examined differences between race groups based on median time to treatment. Types of treatment were analyzed by the Chi-Square test. Results: A total of 1217 patients were identified over a five-year period. Racial background was classified as White, African American, or Asian/Other. Lumpectomy was performed in 47%, 41%, and 38%, respectively (p = 0.15), while 24%, 23%, and 18% received a mastectomy (p = 0.51). There were no significant differences between the racial groups for types of therapy received. Results from ANOVA (table) showed statistically significant differences between the three race groups in terms of time to mastectomy (p = 0.003) and time to radiation therapy (p=0.043). Results from pairwise comparisons showed that (1) African American patients had a significantly longer time to mastectomy than Whites (p = 0.002), (2) patients in the Asian/Other group had a significantly longer time to radiation than their white counterparts (p = 0.015). Conclusion: This study demonstrates racial differences in time to non-surgical and surgical treatment in a group of ethnically diverse breast cancer patients. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.