TY - JOUR
T1 - Unlimited access to care
T2 - Effect on racial disparity and prognostic factors in lung cancer
AU - Mulligan, Charles R.
AU - Meram, Amir D.
AU - Proctor, Courtney D.
AU - Wu, Hongyu
AU - Zhu, Kangmin
AU - Marrogi, Aizen J.
PY - 2006/1
Y1 - 2006/1
N2 - Study Objective: Evaluate the prognostic factors influencing lung cancer survival under a universal health care system and determine if access to care eliminates clinical outcome disparity. Design: Retrospective case series review. Background: Lung cancer survival is worse in men and in African Americans, thought to be related to poor general health in men and limited access to heath care in African Americans. The Military Health Care System, with unlimited access to care, provides an excellent setting for evaluating gender and racial disparities in lung cancer survival. Methods: Lung cancers diagnosed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, from 1990 to 2000, were evaluated by chart review for age, gender, race, smoking history, cancer history, histology, stage, and completeness of resection. Results: Seven hundred thirteen Caucasians and 173 African Americans, 2:1 male predominance, had a 22% 5-year survival. Cox model analysis showed that male gender [hazard ratio (HR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.02-1.68], advanced-stage disease (stage III: HR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-4.26/stage IV: HR, 4.20; 95% CI, 2.51-7.41), and incomplete resection (HR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.75-5.99) were predictors of poor outcome; whereas bronchoalveolar carcinoma features (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.23-0.52) and smoking cessation >7 years (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99) were predictors of favorable outcome. No ethnic differences in survival were observed. Conclusions: No racial disparities in survival when access to medical care is universal. Male gender, incomplete resection, and advanced stage are significant predictors of poor outcome in lung cancer.
AB - Study Objective: Evaluate the prognostic factors influencing lung cancer survival under a universal health care system and determine if access to care eliminates clinical outcome disparity. Design: Retrospective case series review. Background: Lung cancer survival is worse in men and in African Americans, thought to be related to poor general health in men and limited access to heath care in African Americans. The Military Health Care System, with unlimited access to care, provides an excellent setting for evaluating gender and racial disparities in lung cancer survival. Methods: Lung cancers diagnosed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, from 1990 to 2000, were evaluated by chart review for age, gender, race, smoking history, cancer history, histology, stage, and completeness of resection. Results: Seven hundred thirteen Caucasians and 173 African Americans, 2:1 male predominance, had a 22% 5-year survival. Cox model analysis showed that male gender [hazard ratio (HR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.02-1.68], advanced-stage disease (stage III: HR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-4.26/stage IV: HR, 4.20; 95% CI, 2.51-7.41), and incomplete resection (HR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.75-5.99) were predictors of poor outcome; whereas bronchoalveolar carcinoma features (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.23-0.52) and smoking cessation >7 years (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99) were predictors of favorable outcome. No ethnic differences in survival were observed. Conclusions: No racial disparities in survival when access to medical care is universal. Male gender, incomplete resection, and advanced stage are significant predictors of poor outcome in lung cancer.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645461413&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-05-0537
DO - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-05-0537
M3 - Review article
C2 - 16434582
AN - SCOPUS:33645461413
SN - 1055-9965
VL - 15
SP - 25
EP - 31
JO - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
JF - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
IS - 1
ER -