Men and White people receive better treatment for gastroesophageal cancer than women, Blacks, and Latinos despite years of studies highlighting disparities in care, researchers say.
The problem is complex because it stems from both biological and socioeconomic factors, but some signs of improvement are beginning to show, said Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, a professor of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
"Repeatedly, we see that, although we know how patients should be treated, there are oftentimes subsets of patients who don't receive that same level of care," said Evans in a general session talk at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.
Black patients with esophageal cancer are 38% more likely to die from the condition than White patients, he said, citing a 2013 study (Ann Surg Oncol. 2013 doi: 10.1245/s10434-012-2807-3). For Latino patients, mortality is 20% higher than for White patients.
The difference can mostly be explained by the rate of esophagectomy, which is 52% lower for Black patients and 29% lower for Latino patients, compared with White patients, the study found.
Besides race and gender, insurance status also influences who gets surgery, Evans said, citing data from the National Cancer Database. Black patients are less likely to get surgery and more likely to die at all stages and histologies, he said.
