Disparities Seen in Cancer Treatment Delivery at Minority-Serving Hospitals

TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- There are systemic disparities in definitive cancer treatment delivery at minority-serving hospitals (MSHs) versus non-MSHs, according to a study published online May 27 in Cancer.

Edoardo Beatrici, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues used data from the National Cancer Database for 2010 to 2019 to examine patients who were eligible for definitive treatments for breast, prostate, non-small cell lung, and colon cancer. MSHs were classified as hospitals in the top decile by minority patient proportion. The odds of receiving definitive treatment were compared at MSHs versus non-MSHs.

The researchers found that 9.3 percent of 2,927,191 patients from 1,330 hospitals were treated at MSHs. Across all cancer types, significantly lower odds of delivering definitive therapy were seen at MSHs (adjusted odds ratios, 0.83, 0.69, 0.73, and 0.81 for breast cancer, prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and colon cancer, respectively). No significant site of care-race interaction was seen for any of the cancers. A total of 5,719 additional patients receiving definitive treatment over 10 years could result from equalizing treatment rates at MSHs.

"To truly achieve health care equity, our results underscore the importance of system‐wide efforts that integrate improvements at MSHs with broader strategies aimed at eliminating these disparities," the authors write. "Enhancing care at MSHs is a key step within a larger framework of initiatives designed to ensure equitable health care outcomes for all."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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