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Racial Disparities and Diagnosis-to-Treatment Time Among Patients Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in South Carolina

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Abstract

Objectives

Diagnosis-to-treatment interval is an important quality measure that is recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the National Quality Measures for Breast Care. The aim of this study was to assess factors related to delays in receiving breast cancer treatment.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study (2002 to 2010) used data from the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR) and Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs (RFA) to examine racial differences in diagnosis-to-treatment time (in days), with adjuvant hormone receipt, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy assessed separately. Chi-square tests, and logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to compare diagnosis-to-treatment days.

Results

Black women on average received adjuvant hormone therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy 25, 8, 7, and 3 days later than their White counterparts, respectively. Black women with local stage cancer had later time to surgery (OR: 1.6; CI: 1.2–2.2) compared with White women with local stage cancer. Black women living in rural areas had higher odds (OR: 2.0; CI: 1.1–3.7) of receiving late chemotherapy compared with White women living in rural areas. Unmarried Black women also had greater risk (OR: 2.0; CI: 1.0–4.0) of receiving late radiotherapy compared to married White women.

Conclusions

To improve timely receipt of effective BrCA treatments, programs aimed at reducing racial disparities may need to target subgroups of Black breast cancer patients based on their social determinants of health and geographic residence.

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Funding

Oluwole A. Babatunde was supported by a National Cancer Institute’s K00 Fellowship grant (F99 CA 222722 and K00 CA 222722).

Swann A. Adams was supported by a National Cancer Institute’s R15 grant (R15CA179355) as principal investigator.

Samantha Truman is being supported by Interdisciplinary Graduate Training Program in Cancer Disparities (IGniTE-CD) program (GTDR17500160) sponsored by Susan G. Komen.

Tisha M. Felder was supported by a National Cancer Institute Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01CA193667).

Chanita Hughes-Halbert was supported by a National Cancer Institute’s R21 grant (R21 CA 235852).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA

    Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde & Chanita Hughes-Halbert

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde, Jan M. Eberth, Robert Moran, Samantha Truman, James R. Hebert & Swann Arp Adams

  3. College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, 1601 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Tisha M. Felder, James R. Hebert, Sue Heiney & Swann Arp Adams

  4. Connecting Health Innovations LLC, 1417 Gregg Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, USA

    James R. Hebert

Authors
  1. Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde
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  2. Jan M. Eberth
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Correspondence to Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde.

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Babatunde, O.A., Eberth, J.M., Felder, T.M. et al. Racial Disparities and Diagnosis-to-Treatment Time Among Patients Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in South Carolina. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 9, 124–134 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00935-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00935-z

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