Site Editor
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Understanding the medical strategies used in South Florida may explain why it is the sole region where Hispanic patients are not disadvantaged when diagnosed with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a population-based study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This study suggests that targeted interventions may improve early detection of NSCLC, and these strategies may be implemented to influence early cancer detection across the United States, explained Qinran Liu, PhD, MPH, of the American Cancer Society and the University of Miami School of Medicine, and colleagues.
From 2005 to 2018, a total of 157,034 patients with NSCLC were included from the Florida cancer registry for the study. The outcome of interest was the stage at diagnosis, categorized into early-stage (localized or regional) and advanced-stage (distant). Analyses were conducted to assess the associations between race/ethnicity and stage at diagnosis. Patients were further stratified by geographic location (South Florida vs the rest of Florida) to evaluate regional differences in racial and ethnic staging disparities.
After the investigators adjusted for socioeconomic status, clinical factors, and smoking status, non-Hispanic Black patients (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.22) and Hispanic patients (adjusted OR = 1.03) were more likely to have a more advanced-stage diagnosis compared with non-Hispanic White patients. Of note, regional differences seemed to play a significant role in outcomes between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White patients in South Florida (adjusted OR = 0.96) compared with patients in the rest of Florida (adjusted OR = 1.12). In predominantly Hispanic South Florida, most Hispanic patients either matched or surpassed White patients in early-stage diagnoses. In contrast, outside South Florida, disparities were more pronounced, with Hispanic patients 12% more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage compared with White patients. This pattern was also seen in Black and other racial/ethnic minorities, reflecting broader national challenges in health-care access and increasing vulnerability to adverse staging disparities.
This improvement in staging disparities in Florida, specifically South Florida, may be the result of the region’s high proportion of Hispanic communities and a greater presence of Hispanic health-care providers, the researchers said.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
JNCCN Spotlights
Resources
For your Patients
