Studies from University of Alabama Birmingham Update Current Data on Breast Cancer (Associations Between Health Insurance Status, Neighborhood Deprivation, and Treatment Delays In Women With Breast Cancer Living In Georgia): Oncology – Breast Cancer

2023 AUG 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Fresh data on Oncology - Breast Cancer are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Birmingham, Alabama, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Little is known regarding the association between insurance status and treatment delays in women with breast cancer and whether this association varies by neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation status. In this cohort study, we used medical record data of women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2004 and 2022 at two Georgia-based healthcare systems.”

Funders for this research include NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the University of Alabama Birmingham, “Treatment delay was defined as >90 days to surgery or >120 days to systemic treatment. Insurance coverage was categorized as private, Medicaid, Medicare, other public, or uninsured. Area deprivation index (ADI) was used as a proxy for neighborhood-level socioeconomic status. Associations between delayed treatment and insurance status were analyzed using logistic regression, with an interaction term assessing effect modification by ADI. Of the 14,195 women with breast cancer, 54% were non-Hispanic Black and 52% were privately insured. Compared with privately insured patients, those who were uninsured, Medicaid enrollees, and Medicare enrollees had 79%, 75%, and 27% higher odds of delayed treatment, respectively (odds ratio [OR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-2.43; OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.43-2.13; OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.06-1.51). Among patients living in low-deprivation areas, those who were uninsured, Medicaid enrollees, and Medicare enrollees had 100%, 84%, and 26% higher odds of delayed treatment than privately insured patients (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.44-2.78; OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.48-2.30; OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05-1.53). No differences in the odds of delayed treatment by insurance status were observed in patients living in high-deprivation areas. Insurance status was associated with treatment delays for women living in low-deprivation neighborhoods.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “However, for women living in neighborhoods with high deprivation, treatment delays were observed regardless of insurance status.”

For more information on this research see: Associations Between Health Insurance Status, Neighborhood Deprivation, and Treatment Delays In Women With Breast Cancer Living In Georgia. Cancer Medicine, 2023. Cancer Medicine can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Cancer Medicine - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2045-7634)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Ritu Aneja, University of Alabama Birmingham, School of Health Professions, Dept. of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States. Additional authors for this research include Sofia Awan, Geetanjali Saini, Shristi Bhattarai, Keerthi Gogineni, Justin M. Luningham, Lindsay J. Collin and Courtney P. Williams.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6341. 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.

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