New Cancer Study Findings Have Been Reported by Investigators at Washington University (Health Insurance Coverage and Racial/ethnic Disparities In Us Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survival): Cancer

Insurance Daily News

2023 AUG 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Cancer. According to news originating from St. Louis, Missouri, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “To evaluate potential effect modification by health insurance coverage on racial and ethnic disparities in cancer survival among US children and adolescents. Data from 54 558 individuals diagnosed with cancer at <= 19 years between 2004 and 2010 were obtained from the National Cancer Database.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Washington University, “Cox proportional hazards regression was used for analyses. An interaction term between race/ethnicity and health insurance type was included to examine racial/ethnic disparities in survival by each insurance status category. Racial/ethnic minorities experienced a 14%-42% higher hazard of death compared with non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) with magnitudes varying by health insurance type (P-interaction < .001). Specifically, among those reported as privately insured, the hazard of death was higher for non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.36-1.62), non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Natives (HR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.36-2.90), non-Hispanic Asians or Pacific Islanders (HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.13-1.50), and Hispanics (HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17-1.40) vs NHWs. Racial/ethnic disparities in survival among those reported as covered by Medicaid were present for NHBs (HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.19-1.43) but no other racial/ethnic minorities (HR ranges: 0.98 similar to 1.00) vs NHWs. In the uninsured group, the hazard of death for NHBs (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.26-2.23) and Hispanics (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.61) was higher vs NHWs. Disparities in survival exist across insurance types, particularly for NHB childhood and adolescent cancer patients vs NHWs with private insurance.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “These findings provide insights for research and policy, and point to the need for more efforts on promoting health equity while improving health insurance coverage.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Health Insurance Coverage and Racial/ethnic Disparities In Us Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survival. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2023;257. The Journal of Pediatrics can be contacted at: Mosby-elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Kimberly J. Johnson, Washington University, Brown School, St. Louis, MO, United States. Additional authors for this research include Xiaoyan Wang, Derek S. Brown, Shenyang Guo, Yin Cao and Christine C. Ekenga.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.02.022. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.