Evaluation of the effect of care at NCI comprehensive cancer centers (NCICCCs) on disparities in outcome within adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer.

Abstract

9512 Background: AYAs (15-39y at diagnosis) with cancer have not seen the survival improvement evidenced by younger and older age groups with similar diagnoses, leaving an AYA Gap. While treatment on pediatric protocols is associated with superior survival in 15-21 year-olds, the impact of site of care on survival for vulnerable AYA subpopulations (age at diagnosis or race/ ethnicity) between 22-and 39y at diagnosis remains unstudied. Methods: We constructed a cohort of 10,727 patients newly diagnosed between the ages of 22- and 39y with lymphoma, leukemia, brain tumors, melanoma, thyroid and GU cancers, and reported to the LA County cancer registry between 1998 and 2008. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was conducted, and included race/ethnicity, age at diagnosis, SES, insurance status, primary cancer diagnosis and diagnosis year in the model; the analysis was stratified by site of care (NCICCC vs. non-NCICCC). Results: A total of 928 (9%) patients received treatment at the 3 NCICCCs (City of Hope, Jonsson Cancer Center and Norris Cancer Center) in LA County, and 9,799 received care elsewhere. Five-year overall survival (5y OS) was significantly worse for patients treated at non-NCICCC (87%) when compared with those treated at NCICCC (84%, p=0.02). In addition, 5y OS was worse for African Americans (71%) vs. non-Hispanic whites (89%, p<0.0001) and for older patients (31-39yo: 84%, vs. 22-30yo: 86%, p=0.0004). Multivariable analysis adjusting for SES, insurance status, diagnosis and diagnosis year revealed that African Americans (HR=1.4, p=0.0002) and older AYAs (31-39y: HR=1.24, p<0.0001) were at an increased risk of death. Among patients treated at NCICCC, the difference in risk of death due to race (African Americans: HR=0.8, p=0.7) and age (31-39yo: HR=1.1, p=0.6) was abrogated. On the other hand, among patients treated at non-NCICCC, these differences in outcome persisted (African Americans: HR=1.45, p =0.0002; 31-39yo: HR=1.25, p<.0001). Conclusions: Population-based data reveal that receipt of care at an NCICCC abrogates the effects of race and older age on mortality in AYAs with cancer. Barriers to accessing care at NCICCCs are being explored.