Comparing treatment and outcomes of ductal carcinoma in situ among women in Missouri by race

PURPOSE

To investigate whether treatment (surgery, radiation therapy, and endocrine therapy) contributes to racial disparities in outcomes of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The analysis included 8184 non-Hispanic White and 954 non-Hispanic Black women diagnosed with DCIS between 1996 and 2011 and identified in the Missouri Cancer Registry. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of treatment for race. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of ipsilateral breast tumor (IBT) and contralateral breast tumor (CBT) for race.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between Black and White women in utilization of mastectomy (OR 1.16; 95 % CI 0.99-1.35) or endocrine therapy (OR 1.19; 95 % CI 0.94-1.51). Despite no significant difference in underutilization of radiation therapy (OR 1.14; 95 % CI 0.92-1.42), Black women had higher odds of radiation delay, defined as at least 8 weeks between surgery and radiation (OR 1.92; 95 % CI 1.55-2.37). Among 9138 patients, 184 had IBTs and 326 had CBTs. Black women had a higher risk of IBTs (HR 1.69; 95 % CI 1.15-2.50) and a comparable risk of CBTs (HR 1.19; 95 % CI 0.84-1.68), which were independent of pathological features and treatment.

CONCLUSION

Racial differences in DCIS treatment and outcomes exist in Missouri. This study could not completely explain the higher risk of IBTs in Black women. Future studies should identify differences in timely initiation and completion of treatment, which may contribute to the racial difference in IBTs after DCIS.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 and chronic neurological conditions in the United States: an administrative claims analysis

Purpose

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) has been linked to several neurological conditions including: epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, headache, multiple sclerosis, and sleep disturbances, predominantly through case reports and series that lack comparison groups. Our objective was to assess whether specific neurological conditions occur more frequently in individuals with NF1 vs. those without NF1.

Methods

We used the 2006-2010 MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database to examine associations between neurological conditions and NF1. The NF1 group was identified through ≥2 ICD-9-CM NF codes (237.70, 237.71) occurring ≥30 days apart or one inpatient NF code. A non-NF1 comparison group was frequency-matched to the NF1 group on age and enrollment length at a 10:1 ratio. Unconditional logistic regression was employed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between NF and neurological conditions.

Results

Compared to the non-NF1 group (n=85,790), the NF1 group (n=8,579) had a significantly higher odds of health insurance claims for epilepsy (OR=7.3; 95% CI 6.4-8.3), Parkinson's disease (OR=3.1; 95% CI 1.3-7.5), headache (OR=2.9, 95% CI 2.6-3.1), multiple sclerosis (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.2-2.9), and sleep disturbances/disorder (OR=1.4, 95% CI 1.2-3.6).

Conclusion

This large study provides strong evidence for positive associations between several neurological conditions and NF1.