Impact of Insurance Status on Oncologic and Perioperative Outcomes After Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Race and Ethnicity Impacts Overall Survival of Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Who Undergo Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Appendiceal cancer treatment may include cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). We investigated whether patient race/ethnicity influences outcomes and overall survival for patients with appendiceal cancer who undergo CRS/HIPEC. We queried the National Cancer Database for adult patients with appendiceal cancer treated with CRS/HIPEC from 2006 to 2018. Patients were stratified by race/ethnicity: non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, and Other. Sociodemographics and outcomes were compared using descriptive statistics. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank tests assessed differences in overall survival (OS). Cox Multivariate Regression evaluated factors associated with OS. In total, 2532 patients were identified: 2098 (82.9%) NHW, 186 (7.3%) NHB, 127 (5.0%) Hispanic, and 121 (4.8%) Other patients. The sociodemographics were statistically different across groups. The perioperative and postoperative outcomes were similar. OS was significantly different by race/ethnicity (p = 0.0029). NHB patients compared to Hispanic patients had the shortest median OS (106.7 vs. 145.9 months, p = 0.0093). Race/ethnicity was independently associated with OS: NHB (HR: 2.117 [1.306, 3.431], p = 0.0023) and NHW (HR: 1.549 [1.007, 2.383], p = 0.0463) patients compared to Hispanic patients had worse survival rates. Racial/ethnic disparities exist for patients with appendiceal cancer undergoing CRS/HIPEC. Despite having similar tumor and treatment characteristics, OS is associated with patient race/ethnicity.

Influence of insurance status on the postoperative outcomes of cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is increasingly performed for peritoneal surface malignancies but remains associated with significant morbidity. Scant research is available regarding the impact of insurance status on postoperative outcomes.

METHODS

Patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC between 2000 and 2017 at 12 participating sites in the US HIPEC Collaborative were identified. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the baseline characteristics, operative variables, and postoperative outcomes of patients with government, private, or no insurance.

RESULTS

Among 2268 patients, 699 (30.8%) had government insurance, 1453 (64.0%) had private, and 116 (5.1%) were uninsured. Patients with government insurance were older, more likely to be non-white, and comorbid (p < 0.05). Patients with government (OR: 2.25, CI: 1.50-3.36, p < 0.001) and private (OR: 1.69, CI: 1.15-2.49, p = 0.008) insurance had an increased risk of complications on univariate analysis. There was no independent relationship on multivariate analysis. An American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 or 4, peritoneal carcinomatosis index score >15, completeness of cytoreduction score >1, and nonhome discharge were factors independently associated with a postoperative complication.

CONCLUSION

While there were differences in postoperative outcomes between the three insurance groups on univariate analysis, there was no independent association between insurance status and postoperative complications after CRS/HIPEC.

Racial Disparities in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Does Aggressive Surgical Treatment Overcome Cancer Health Inequities?

Background

Advanced cancer states perpetuate health-related disparities. Peritoneal-based cancers are clinically advanced cancers that present a significant clinical dilemma. Peritoneal cancers are managed aggressively with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). While racial and ethnic disparities are prevalent in cancer, there are no studies investigating if racial disparities exist in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis managed with CRS and HIPEC. We hypothesized that this advanced disease state further delineates racial disparities.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis receiving CRS and HIPEC at a single institution from January 1, 2017-October 4, 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to compare racial groups. The Cox Proportional Hazards Model and Log Rank Test were used for multivariate and overall survival analysis.

Results

In total, 67 patients underwent CRS and HIPEC, of which 41 (61.2%) were White, 20 (29.8%) were Black, 3 (4.5%) were Asian, and 3 (4.5%) were Other race. When compared to White patients, Black patients had lower income (p=0.0011), higher incidence of hypertension (p=0.0231), and lower performance status (p=0.0441). Cancer type, including colorectal, appendiceal, ovarian, etc., was similar between groups (p=0.8703). Despite these differences in sociodemographic and morbidity factors, when comparing Black patients to White patients, there were no differences in peritoneal cancer index score (13.2 vs. 12.3, p=0.6932), estimated blood loss (748 vs. 655 mL, p=0.6332), minor/major complication rates (1.1 vs. 1.2, p=0.7281; 0.4 vs. 0.7, p=0.3470, respectively), 30-day readmission rates (25.0% vs. 17.1%, p=0.6210), disease recurrence (40.0% vs. 51.2%, p=0.3667), or 30-day mortality (0.0% vs. 2.4%, p=1.0000). Overall survival was similar for Black and White patients (p=0.2693). The occurrence of a major complication was the only factor associated with overall survival (HR 2.188 [1.502, 3.188], p< 0.0001).

Conclusions

Despite differences in patient socioeconomic factors and comorbid conditions, outcomes were similar between Black and White patients receiving CRS and HIPEC at our institution. While larger studies with more diverse patient populations are needed to confirm these findings, our data provide evidence that aggressive surgical management across diverse patient populations allows for equitable outcomes.