Elimination of socioeconomic and racial disparities related to lung cancer: closing the gap at a high volume community cancer center

Abstract

Background: Healthcare disparities have afflicted the healthcare industry for decades and there have been many campaigns in recent years to identify and eliminate disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify disparities in the lung cancer population of a single community cancer center and to report the results in accordance with industry goals.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of data on non-small cell lung cancer patients recorded in the Christiana Care Tumor Registry (CCTR) in Delaware. Gender, age, race, socioeconomic status and insurance status were used as potential variables in identifying disparities.

Results: We found no significant disparities between sexes, race or patients who were classified as having socioeconomic status 1-3. There was a lower survival rate associated with having the poorest socioeconomic status and in patients who used Medicare. Uninsured patients had the best survival outcomes and patients with Medicare had the poorest survival outcomes.

Conclusion: Although we have closed the gap on sex and racial disparities, there remains a difference in survival outcomes across socioeconomic classes and insurance types.

Keywords: Indigent; Medicaid; Medicare; Non-small cell lung cancer; Socioeconomic status; Thoracic surgery; Uninsured.