Screening facility resources and aggressiveness of tumors were identified as being two major factors that explain racial/ethnic disparity among patients recently screened for symptomatic breast cancer, according to an article published online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Participants in this study included patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer and analyzed regarding the probability of symptomatic awareness despite a recent screening mammogram (SADRS). Patients who did not report a recent prior screening were not included in the study analyses.
Results showed SADRS was more common among nH
b
P=0.0004). Furthermore, an association was identified between SADRS and estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR) negative status and higher grade disease.
SADRS was less likely to be reported at centers with dedicated radiologists and site that were labeled as breast imaging centers of excellence.
Two-thirds of the racial/ethnic disparity in SADRS was explained by tumor biology and facility factors (proportion mediated=70%, P=0.02).
Screening facility resources and aggressiveness of tumors identified as being two major factors that explain racial disparity in breast cancer.
1Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois Chicago 2Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force 3University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Division of Hematology and Oncology 4Institute for Health Research and Policy, uic ↵*Corresponding Author: Garth H. Rauscher, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois Chicago, School of Public Health, 816 SPHPI (M/C 923), 1603 W.
From cebp.aacrjournals.org
