Abstract PO-105: Treatment inequity: Examining the influence of race and ethnicity, sex, and insurance on pancreatic cancer care
Authors: Schiefelbein Andrea M. , Taylor Amy K. , Puckett Yana , Zhang Jienian , Krebsbach John K. , Hampton John M. , Dietz Amy Trentham- , Skala Melissa C. , Weber Sharon M. , Eason John M. , LoConte Noelle K. 
Published: December 2020

Background: Socioeconomic-based treatment disparities are well-documented in pancreatic cancer in the United States. Studies have found treatment disparities by race and ethnicity, insurance, income, sex, and age. We examined 14 years of pancreatic cancer intended first course treatment data in a Midwestern state to identify state-specific disparities. Methods: Data from 8,416 pancreatic cancer patients aged over 18 diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, NOS or infiltrating duct carcinoma, NOS from 2004 to 2017 were obtained from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System. Adjusted logistic regression was performed to describe the association between patient characteristics and intended first course treatment.

Treatment was defined as radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery, alone or in combination. The analysis was completed for all patients. It was repeated for the subset of 5,005 Medicare Patients to examine disparities by Medicare subtype.

Race/ethnicity, sex, rurality, and insurance were factors of interest. Age and stage at diagnosis were included as confounders. Results: The mean overall survival of the 8,416 patients was 9.9 months. 70.5% of patients received treatment. 53% of patients were diagnosed with metastatic disease. The adjusted odds ratio of receiving treatment was 0.52 (0.41-0.65) for Non-Hispanic Black patients, 0.46 (0.24- 0.88) for Non-Hispanic Asian patients, and 0.46 (0.22-0.94) for patients categorized as ‘Other’ race/ethnicity compared to Non-Hispanic White patients. The adjusted odds ratio of receiving treatment was 0.90 (0.81-1.00) for female compared to male patients. The adjusted odds ratio of receiving treatment was 0.40 (0.29-0.54) for Medicaid patients, 0.80 (0.66-0.97) for Medicare patients, 0.44 (0.32-0.61) for Military patients, 0.18 (0.09-0.35) for Not Insured patients, and 0.24 (0.15-0.39) for Self Pay patients compared to Private Insurance patients. Among the 5,005 Medicare patients, the adjusted odds ratio of receiving treatment was 0.49 (0.35-0.68) for Non-Hispanic Black compared to Non-Hispanic White patients, 0.86 (0.76-0.98) for female compared to male patients, and 0.45 (0.33-0.62) for Medicare with Medicaid eligibility compared to Medicare, NOS patients. The adjusted odds ratio of receiving treatment was 1.42 (1.19-1.69) for Medicare patients with a supplement, NOS, 1.36 (1.11-1.66) for Medicare patients where Medicare was administered via a managed care plan, and 1.38 (1.13-1.70) for Medicare patients with a private supplement compared to Medicare, NOS patients. Rurality was not associated with treatment in either model. Conclusions: Significant race/ethnicity, sex, and insurance-based treatment disparities exist amongst Wisconsin pancreatic cancer patients. Future studies should investigate the contribution of social, clinician, and healthcare system factors that impact inequitable access to, inconsistent presentation of, and underutilization of treatment for people of color, women, and publicly insured or uninsured patients.

Citation Format: Andrea M. Schiefelbein, Amy K. Taylor, Yana Puckett, Jienian Zhang, John K. Krebsbach, John M. Hampton, Amy Trentham- Dietz, Melissa C. Skala, Sharon M. Weber, John M. Eason, Noelle K. LoConte. Treatment inequity: Examining the influence of race and ethnicity, sex, and insurance on pancreatic cancer care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-105.