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Patel R, Kwon D, Hovstadius M, Tiersten A. Patterns in use of palliative care in older patients with metastatic breast cancer: A National Cancer Database analysis. J Geriatr Oncol 2024:101840. [PMID: 39095312 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2024.101840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Timely incorporation of palliative care (PC) during treatment of patients with metastatic cancers can improve symptom management and quality of life. Older age has been associated with lower PC use in patients with cancer. The frequency by which older patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) receive PC is unknown. The goal of this study was to use the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to describe national patterns in PC use in older adults over 75 years of age with MBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS Females with a diagnosis of MBC at age ≥ 75 years from 2010 to 2019 were identified from the NCDB. The NCDB defined PC as any surgery, radiation, systemic therapy, and/or pain management that was administered with noncurative intent. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to assess associations between PC receipt and study covariates. RESULTS Of 17,325 eligible participants included in the final analysis, 39.4% were 75-79, 30.1% 80-84, and 30.4% ≥ 85 years of age. Overall, 22.1% (N = 3824) of patients utilized PC, of whom 14.3% received pain management, while the remainder received palliative intent surgery, radiation, and/or systemic therapy. Patients who were Hispanic were less likely to receive zzPC (AOR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.48-0.79), p < 0.001). In the overall population, the use of PC increased from 19.2% in 2010 to 25.3% in 2019, though this was primarily driven by the statistically significant increase in the 75-79 age group (19.9% to 28.1%, p = 0.001). DISCUSSION In this patient population from the NCDB, we observed an increase in PC utilization over the last decade in older adults with MBC, though the increase was lowest in patients who were 85 years and older. Barriers to PC in older adults with cancer need to be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima Patel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Deukwoo Kwon
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Malin Hovstadius
- Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, USA
| | - Amy Tiersten
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Freeman JQ, Omoleye OJ, Zhao F, Huo D. Palliative Care Use Trends, Racial/Ethnic Disparities, and Overall Survival Differences Among Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer. J Palliat Med 2024; 27:763-775. [PMID: 38301120 PMCID: PMC11301711 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Palliative care improves cancer patients' quality of life. Limited research has investigated racial/ethnic disparities in palliative care utilization and its associated survival among metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Objectives: To examine racial/ethnic palliative care use disparities and assess racial/ethnic overall survival differences in MBC patients stratified by palliative care use. Design: A retrospective study of MBC patients from the 2004-2020 National Cancer Database. Measurements: Palliative care was defined as noncurative cancer treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, and/or pain management; utilization was coded "yes/no." Racial/ethnic groups included Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), Black, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (HPI), Hispanic, and White. Logistic regression was performed to assess palliative care use disparities. Overall survival was modeled using Cox regression. Results: Of 148,931 patients, the mean age was 62 years; 99% were female; 73% identified as White, 17% as Black, 6% as Hispanic, 3% as Asian, 0.3% as AIAN, and 0.3% as HPI; 42% and 39% had Medicare and private insurance, respectively. Overall, 21% used palliative care, with an increasing utilization rate from 2004 to 2020 (3.6% increase per year, p-trend <0.001). Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84 to 0.94), Asian (aOR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.86), and Hispanic (aOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.74) patients had a lower likelihood of palliative care utilization than White patients. Among palliative care users, compared with White patients, Black (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.21) patients had a greater mortality risk, while Asian (aHR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.97) and Hispanic (aHR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.87) patients had a lower mortality risk. Conclusions: Palliative care utilization among MBC patients significantly increased but remained suboptimal. Racial/ethnic minority patients were less likely to use palliative care, and Black patients had worse survival, than White patients, suggesting the need for improving palliative care access and ameliorating disparities in MBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincong Q. Freeman
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Olasubomi J. Omoleye
- Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Fangyuan Zhao
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dezheng Huo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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McGee-Avila JK, Suneja G, Engels EA, Rositch AF, Horner MJ, Luo Q, Shiels MS, Islam JY. Cancer Treatment Disparities in People With HIV in the United States, 2001-2019. J Clin Oncol 2024; 42:1810-1820. [PMID: 38513161 PMCID: PMC11095899 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.02366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE People with HIV (PWH) have worse cancer outcomes, partially because of inequities in cancer treatment. We evaluated cancer treatment disparities among PWH, including an assessment of changes in disparities over time. METHODS We used data from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, a population-based HIV and cancer registry linkage to examine diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and cancers of the cervix, lung, anus, prostate, colon, and female breast. Outcomes included receipt of (1) any cancer treatment and (2) standard therapy among patients with local-stage cancer. We assessed associations between HIV and each outcome by estimating adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aORs) with 95% CI and trends over time. We identified predictors of nonreceipt of cancer treatment in PWH. RESULTS From 2001 to 2019, compared with people with cancer without HIV (n = 2,880,955), PWH (n = 16,334) were more likely to not receive cancer treatment for cervical cancer (aOR, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.52 to 2.70]), DLBCL (aOR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.38 to 1.70]), HL (aOR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.19 to 1.63]), lung cancer (aOR, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.65 to 1.93]), prostate cancer (aOR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.21 to 1.44]), colon cancer (aOR, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.43 to 2.08]), and breast cancer (aOR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.07 to 1.77]). Similar associations were observed in PWH with local-stage cancers although no difference was observed for anal cancers. The association between HIV and nonreceipt of cancer treatment significantly decreased over time for breast, colon, and prostate cancers (all P trend <.0001), but PWH remained less likely to receive treatment in 2014-2019 for DLBCL, cervix, and lung cancers. Among PWH, Black individuals, people who inject drugs, and those 65 years and older were less likely to receive cancer treatment. CONCLUSION Disparities in receipt of cancer treatment persist for PWH in the United States in contemporary time periods. Solutions to address inequitable receipt of cancer treatment among PWH are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. McGee-Avila
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Gita Suneja
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UH
| | - Eric A. Engels
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Anne F. Rositch
- Deparment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Marie-Josephe Horner
- Trans-Divisional Research Program, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Qianlai Luo
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Meredith S. Shiels
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Jessica Y. Islam
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, Center for Immunization and Infection in Cancer, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
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Freeman JQ, Scott AW, Akhiwu TO. Rural-urban disparities and trends in utilization of palliative care services among US patients with metastatic breast cancer. J Rural Health 2024. [PMID: 38375950 DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess trends and rural-urban disparities in palliative care utilization among patients with metastatic breast cancer. METHODS We analyzed data from the 2004-2019 National Cancer Database. Palliative care services, including surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, and/or other pain management, were provided to control pain or alleviate symptoms; utilization was dichotomized as "yes/no." Rural-urban residence, defined by the US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, was categorized as "rural/urban/metropolitan." Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine rural-urban differences in palliative care use. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. FINDINGS Of 133,500 patients (mean age 62.4 [SD = 14.2] years), 86.7%, 11.7%, and 1.6% resided in metropolitan, urban, and rural areas, respectively; 72.5% were White, 17.0% Black, 5.8% Hispanic, and 2.7% Asian. Overall, 20.3% used palliative care, with a significant increase from 15.6% in 2004-2005 to 24.5% in 2008-2019 (7.0% increase per year; p-value for trend <0.001). In urban areas, 23.3% received palliative care, compared to 21.0% in rural and 19.9% in metropolitan areas (p < 0.001). After covariate adjustment, patients residing in rural (AOR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73-0.98) or metropolitan (AOR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.80-0.89) areas had lower odds of having used palliative care than those in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS In this national, racially diverse sample of patients with metastatic breast cancer, the utilization of palliative care services increased over time, though remained suboptimal. Further, our findings highlight rural-urban disparities in palliative care use and suggest the potential need to promote these services while addressing geographic access inequities for this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincong Q Freeman
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Prevention and Control Program, UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Adam W Scott
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ted O Akhiwu
- Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Engels EA, Shiels MS, Barnabas RV, Bohlius J, Brennan P, Castilho J, Chanock SJ, Clarke MA, Coghill AE, Combes JD, Dryden-Peterson S, D'Souza G, Gopal S, Jaquet A, Lurain K, Makinson A, Martin J, Muchengeti M, Newton R, Okuku F, Orem J, Palefsky JM, Ramaswami R, Robbins HA, Sigel K, Silver S, Suneja G, Yarchoan R, Clifford GM. State of the science and future directions for research on HIV and cancer: Summary of a joint workshop sponsored by IARC and NCI. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:596-606. [PMID: 37715370 PMCID: PMC11133517 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
An estimated 38 million people live with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide and are at excess risk for multiple cancer types. Elevated cancer risks in people living with HIV (PLWH) are driven primarily by increased exposure to carcinogens, most notably oncogenic viruses acquired through shared transmission routes, plus acceleration of viral carcinogenesis by HIV-related immunosuppression. In the era of widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART), life expectancy of PLWH has increased, with cancer now a leading cause of co-morbidity and death. Furthermore, the types of cancers occurring among PLWH are shifting over time and vary in their relative burden in different parts of the world. In this context, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) convened a meeting in September 2022 of multinational and multidisciplinary experts to focus on cancer in PLWH. This report summarizes the proceedings, including a review of the state of the science of cancer descriptive epidemiology, etiology, molecular tumor characterization, primary and secondary prevention, treatment disparities and survival in PLWH around the world. A consensus of key research priorities and recommendations in these domains is also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Engels
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Meredith S Shiels
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ruanne V Barnabas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Julia Bohlius
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department for Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Paul Brennan
- Genomic Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Jessica Castilho
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephen J Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Megan A Clarke
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna E Coghill
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jean-Damien Combes
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Early Detection, Prevention and Infections Branch, Lyon, France
| | - Scott Dryden-Peterson
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gypsyamber D'Souza
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Satish Gopal
- Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Antoine Jaquet
- National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), UMR, 1219, Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), EMR 271, Bordeaux Population, Health Centre, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Kathryn Lurain
- HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alain Makinson
- Infectious Disease Department, CHU La Colombière, Montpellier & Inserm U1175, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jeffrey Martin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mazvita Muchengeti
- National Cancer Registry, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- South African DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Robert Newton
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
- University of York, York, UK
| | - Fred Okuku
- Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Joel M Palefsky
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ramya Ramaswami
- HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hilary A Robbins
- Genomic Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Lyon, France
| | - Keith Sigel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Gita Suneja
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Robert Yarchoan
- HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gary M Clifford
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), Early Detection, Prevention and Infections Branch, Lyon, France
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Islam JY, Yang S, Schabath M, Vadaparampil ST, Lou X, Wu Y, Bian J, Guo Y. Lung cancer screening adherence among people living with and without HIV: An analysis of an integrated health system in Florida, United States (2012-2021). Prev Med Rep 2023; 35:102334. [PMID: 37546581 PMCID: PMC10403735 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although lung cancer is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH), limited research exists characterizing real-world lung cancer screening adherence among PLWH. Our objective was to compare low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) adherence among PLWH to those without HIV treated at one integrated health system. Using the University of Florida's Health Integrated Data Repository (01/01/2012-10/31/2021), we identified PLWH with at least one LDCT procedure, using Current Procedural Terminology codes(S8032/G0297/71271). Lung cancer screening adherence was defined as a second LDCT based on the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS®). Lung-RADS categories were extracted from radiology reports using a natural language processing system. PLWH were matched with 4 randomly selected HIV-negative patients based on (+/- 1 year) age, Lung-RADS category, and calendar year. Seventy-three PLWH and 292 matched HIV-negative adults with at least one LDCT were identified. PLWH were more likely to be male (66% vs.52%,p < 0.04), non-Hispanic Black (53% vs.23%,p < 0.001), and live in an area of high poverty (45% vs.31%,p < 0.001). PLWH were more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer after first LDCT (8% vs.0%,p < 0.001). Seventeen percent of HIV-negative and 12% of PLWH were adherent to LDCT screenings. Only 25% of PLWH diagnosed with category 4A were adherent compared to 44% of HIV-negative. On multivariable analyses, those with older age (66-80 vs.50-64 years) and with either Medicaid, charity-based, or other government insurance (vs. Medicare) were less likely to be adherent to LDCT screenings. PLWH may have poorer adherence to LDCT compared to their HIV-negative counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Y. Islam
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, Center for Immunization and Infection in Cancer Research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Shuang Yang
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Matthew Schabath
- Cancer Epidemiology Program, Center for Immunization and Infection in Cancer Research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Susan T. Vadaparampil
- Health Outcomes and Behavior, The Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity (COEE), H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Xiwei Lou
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yonghui Wu
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jiang Bian
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yi Guo
- Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Khouri A, Islam JY, Van Bibber NW, Coghill AE, Suneja G. Cancer treatment delays among cancer patients living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Cancer Med 2023; 12:18717-18728. [PMID: 37712718 PMCID: PMC10557907 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic led to care disruptions across the cancer continuum. It is unknown if immunosuppressed patients with cancer, who may be at higher risk for complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection, are disproportionately impacted. Thus, we aimed to compare delays in cancer treatment initiation between people living with HIV (PLWH) and cancer, the general cancer population (GCP), and patients with cancer and a history of solid organ transplant (SOT). Comparisons were made across the period 2 years preceding the pandemic versus the first year of the pandemic. METHODS We used data from a real-world electronic health record-derived de-identified database (2018-2021) comprised of US patients with cancer from 800 sites of care across the country. We included patients with 19 different cancer types. We calculated time to cancer treatment initiation (TTI) as the difference between the date of cancer diagnosis and the earliest date that cancer treatment was recorded. RESULTS The sample included 181 PLWH, 65,073 GCP patients, and 195 patients with a SOT. Difference-in-difference regression models adjusted for age, sex, and presence of metastatic disease at cancer diagnosis revealed a significant increase in delayed TTI among PLWH compared to the GCP during COVID-19 versus prior to COVID-19, with delays increasing by approximately 1 month during the pandemic (DID: 32.6 days [8.9-56.3]; p = 0.007). The increase in TTI for PLWH was observed across treatment modalities, including surgery (DID: 55.1 [28.8-81.3], p < 0.001) and systemic therapy (DID: 30.4 [4.6-56.3], p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS/RELEVANCE PLWH experienced significant delays in cancer treatment initiation after diagnosis during the first year of COVID-19, delays that may negatively impact cancer outcomes. These data warrant patient and provider attention as the pandemic continues to impact the US healthcare system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Khouri
- University of Utah School of MedicineSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- Huntsman Cancer InstituteSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Jessica Y. Islam
- Cancer Epidemiology ProgramH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteTampaFloridaUSA
| | - Nathan W. Van Bibber
- Cancer Epidemiology ProgramH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteTampaFloridaUSA
| | - Anna E. Coghill
- Cancer Epidemiology ProgramH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteTampaFloridaUSA
| | - Gita Suneja
- Huntsman Cancer InstituteSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
- Department of Radiation OncologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
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Han X, Shi KS, Zhao J, Nogueira L, Parikh RB, Kamal AH, Jemal A, Yabroff KR. Medicaid Expansion Associated With Increase In Palliative Care For People With Advanced-Stage Cancers. Health Aff (Millwood) 2023; 42:956-965. [PMID: 37406229 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Clinical guidelines have endorsed early palliative care for patients with advanced malignancies, but receipt remains low in the US. This study examined the association between Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act and receipt of palliative care among patients newly diagnosed with advanced-stage cancers. Using the National Cancer Database, we found that the percentage of eligible patients who received palliative care as part of first-course treatment increased from 17.0 percent preexpansion to 18.9 percent postexpansion in Medicaid expansion states and from 15.7 percent to 16.7 percent, respectively, in nonexpansion states, resulting in a net increase of 1.3 percentage points in expansion states in adjusted analyses. Increases in receipt of palliative care associated with Medicaid expansion were largest for patients with advanced pancreatic, colorectal, lung, and oral cavity and pharynx cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Our findings suggest that increasing Medicaid coverage facilitates access to guideline-based palliative care for advanced cancer, and they provide additional evidence of benefit in cancer care from states' expansion of income eligibility for Medicaid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesong Han
- Xuesong Han , American Cancer Society, Kennesaw, Georgia
| | | | | | | | - Ravi B Parikh
- Ravi B. Parikh, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW As people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PLWH) age, aging-related comorbidities have come into focus as major challenges to their overall health. In this review, an in-depth overview of the two most commonly encountered chronic lung diseases in PLWH, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, is provided. RECENT FINDINGS The risk for both COPD and lung cancer remains significantly higher in PLWH compared to the HIV-uninfected population, although fortunately rates of lung cancer appear to be declining over the last two decades. Outcomes for PLWH with these conditions, though, continue to be poor with worse survival rates in comparison to the general population. PLWH still face major barriers in accessing care for these conditions, including a higher likelihood of being underdiagnosed with COPD and a lower likelihood of being referred for lung cancer screening or treatment. A lack of evidence for optimal treatment strategies for both COPD and lung cancer still hampers the care of PLWH with these conditions. SUMMARY COPD and lung cancer represent substantial burdens of disease in PLWH. Improved access to standard-of-care screening and treatment and greater investigation into therapeutic responses specifically in this population are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice M Leung
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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