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Racial Disparities in Esophageal Cancer Outcomes

  • Healthcare Policy and Outcomes
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Racial disparities in outcomes have been documented among patients with esophageal cancer. The purpose of this study is to identify mechanisms for ethnicity/race-related differences in the use of cancer-directed surgery and mortality.

Methods

Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program were used to evaluate non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white and Hispanic patients diagnosed with non-metastatic esophageal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma) from 2003–2008. Age, marital status, stage, histology and location were examined as predictors of receipt of surgery and mortality in multivariate analyses.

Results

A total of 6,737 patient files (84 % white, 10 % black, 6 % Hispanic) were analyzed. Black and Hispanic patients were more likely than whites to have squamous cell carcinoma (86 vs. 41 vs. 26 %, respectively; p < 0.001) and lesions in the midesophagus (58 vs. 38 vs. 26 %, respectively; p < 0.001). Blacks and Hispanics were less likely to undergo esophagectomy (adjusted odds ratio 0.48, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.39–0.60 and 0.71, 95 % CI 0.56–0.90]. We noted significant variations in esophagectomy rates among patients with midesophageal cancers; 15 % of blacks underwent esophagectomy compared to 22 % of Hispanics and 29 % of whites (p < 0.001). Black and Hispanic patients had a higher unadjusted risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.38, 95 % CI 1.25–1.52 and 1.20, 95 % CI 1.05–1.37). However, differences in mortality were no longer significant after adjusting for receipt of surgery.

Conclusions

Disparities in esophageal cancer outcomes are associated with the lower use of cancer-directed surgery. To decrease disparities in mortality it will be necessary to understand and target underlying causes of lower surgery rates in nonwhite patients and develop interventions, especially for midesophageal cancers.

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Acknowledgment

This work is supported by funding from the University of Michigan Surgical Oncology Research Training Program (2T32 CA009672-21 National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute to SLR) and the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (UL1RR024986 National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources to SLR and SLW).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Sha’Shonda L. Revels MD, MA, MS, Arden M. Morris MD, MPH, Rishindra M. Reddy MD, Clifford Akateh BS & Sandra L. Wong MD, MS

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  1. Sha’Shonda L. Revels MD, MA, MS
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  2. Arden M. Morris MD, MPH
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  3. Rishindra M. Reddy MD
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  4. Clifford Akateh BS
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  5. Sandra L. Wong MD, MS
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Correspondence to Sandra L. Wong MD, MS.

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Revels, S.L., Morris, A.M., Reddy, R.M. et al. Racial Disparities in Esophageal Cancer Outcomes. Ann Surg Oncol 20, 1136–1141 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-012-2807-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-012-2807-3

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