Racial disparities negatively impact outcomes for patients with early-onset colorectal cancer independent of income or education status.

Abstract

20 Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients under age 50 is rising for reasons that are incompletely understood. We examined the effects of health disparities and socioeconomic factors on outcomes for patients with early-onset CRC compared to older-onset CRC. Methods: Patients with CRC from 2004-2015 in the National Cancer Database were included and categorized by age under or over 50 years. Differences in demographic, disease and treatment characteristics and socioeconomic factors between younger and older patients were assessed by Chi-square test. The effect of age, race, ethnicity, insurance status, community median income and community educational attainment on overall survival (OS) were assessed using Cox models. Subgroup analyses were carried out by factors with significant interactions with race. Bonferonni correction was used when indicated. Results: The study population comprised 1,061,204 patients, 108,058 (10.2%) of whom were under age 50. The proportion of patients diagnosed under age 50 increased over time: 9.4% in 2004-2006, 10.1% in 2007-2009, 10.5% in 2010-2012 and 10.7% in 2013-2015. Compared to older patients, young patients were more likely to be Black (15.1% vs. 11.3%) or Hispanic (8.6% vs. 4.6%) and to be diagnosed with stage 4 disease (24.9% vs. 17.0%), p < 0.0001 for all. Age < 50 years was associated with improved median OS (157.4 vs. 64.2 months, p < 0.0001). ). Black patients had the worst median OS (58.3 months) compared to White (67.0 months), Hispanic (91.6 months) or Asian (104.9 months) patients, p < 0.0001. Within the subgroup of early-onset CRC patients with private insurance, Blacks had worse OS compared to White patients at multiple community income and education levels. Older CRC patients did not demonstrate the same disparities. Asian and Hispanic patients had equivalent or better OS compared to White patients regardless of insurance type, income or education level. These data are shown in the Table. Conclusions: Early-onset CRC continues to increase. Patients with early-onset CRC are more likely to be Black or Hispanic and to present with stage 4 cancer compared to older patients. Alarmingly, Black patients showed worse OS compared to White patients in all income subgroups, even with private insurance. Much more work is needed to address the environmental factors and health disparities that lead to these outcomes. [Table: see text]