| The following article features coverage from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Click here to read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s conference coverage. |
Chemoradiation-associated patient outcomes for women with cervical cancer were not linked to income status when low-income patients used social and financial service programs offered by their cancer center, according to findings from a study presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)’s 50th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.
Included in this retrospective review were 116 patients with cervical cancer who received chemoradiation therapy at a single institution located in a rural state during the period from January 2015 through July 2018.
On average, patients utilized 1.24 social/financial services, which included registration for disability and Medicaid, assistance with medication costs, financial assistance, access to emergency funds, access to low-cost or free lodging, and transportation. Of these programs, only disability registration was significantly associated with improved time to completion of chemoradiation (P <.001).
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A comparison of high-income patients who did not receive social/financial assistance from the cancer center with low-income patients who did receive such assistance showed no significant differences in median progression-free survival (11.2 months vs 12.1 months, respectively, P =.495) and overall survival (16.2 months vs 15.3 months, respectively, P =.098). Furthermore, the time for completion of the therapy was not significantly different when these 2 groups were compared (56.5 days [low-income patients receiving services] vs 50 days; P =.11).
“Identifying individual patients’ needs prior to therapy may allow for continued improvement in therapy compliance and patient outcomes,” the study authors concluded.
Read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s coverage of SGO’s annual meeting by visiting the conference page.
Reference
- Gillen J, Grimes S, Essel KG, et al. Impact of financial assistance programs on time to completion of therapy in women receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer. Presented at: Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)’s 50th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer; Honolulu, Hawaii; March 16-19, 2019. Abstract 9.
