Gynecologic cancer outcomes of Medicare's elderly poor: A population-based study of North Carolina.

Authors

null

Kemi Morenikeji Doll

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC

Kemi Morenikeji Doll, Ke Meng, Ethan M Basch, Paola A. Gehrig, Wendy R. Brewster, Anne-Marie Meyer

Organizations

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Women ≥ 65 years dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (‘Duals’) represent an at-risk group in cancer care, yet their outcomes across the spectrum of gynecologic cancers have not been studied. Our goal was to compare the association of insurance type to stage at diagnosis and mortality of older women after a gynecologic cancer diagnosis. Methods: Population-based, retrospective cohort study of women ≥ 65 years, diagnosed with gynecologic cancers from 2003 – 2009 in North Carolina Central Cancer Registry files. Medicare, Medicaid, and claims from privately insured health plans were linked with census data. Multiple logistic regression, Cox proportional hazard models, and Kaplan Meier survival curves were constructed comparing Medicare, Medicare HMO, and Medicare/Medicaid populations. Results: Among 4,554 patients in the cohort, 3,403 (74%) Medicare+/- supplemental private, 531(11%) Medicare HMO, and 620 (14%) Medicare + Medicaid (Dual). There were 2,215(49%) cases of early stage disease and 1,447(32%) deaths. Dual enrollees had increased mortality rates vs. Medicare overall (HR 1.61, 95%CI:1.4–1.8), and within each cancer site: uterine HR 1.50 (95%CI:1.2-1.9); ovarian HR 1.46 (95%CI:1.1-1.9); cervical HR 1.54 (95%CI:1.0–2.3); and vulvar/vaginal HR 2.84 (95%CI:1.9–4.2). Duals also had increased odds of advanced stage diagnosis in uterine cancer (OR 1.48, 95%CI:1.1–2.0). Stratified survival curves demonstrate the largest disparities amongst women with early stage uterine, advanced stage ovarian, and early stage vulvar/vaginal cancers. Conclusions: Dually enrolled gynecologic cancer patients have a 60% increased mortality rate compared to non-duals despite equivalent stage distribution at the time of diagnosis. Specific site/stage subgroups drive these results and should be the focus of future studies elucidating mediators of these disparate outcomes, including barriers in access to specialty surgical care.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2014 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

General Poster Session A: Science of Quality and Cost, Value, and Policy in Quality

Track

Science of Quality,Cost, Value, and Policy in Quality

Sub Track

Studies Using Registries or Combining Large Databases

Citation

J Clin Oncol 32, 2014 (suppl 30; abstr 290)

DOI

10.1200/jco.2014.32.30_suppl.290

Abstract #

290

Poster Bd #

G5

Abstract Disclosures

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