Unveiling inequalities: An analysis of treatment disparities of primary gallbladder neuroendocrine tumors by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status from the National Cancer Database.

Authors

Aleenah Mohsin

Aleenah Mohsin

Lifespan Cancer Institute/Brown University School of Medicine-Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI

Aleenah Mohsin , Mohammad Arfat Ganiyani , Shahzaib Ahmad , Vivek Podder , Rohan Garje

Organizations

Lifespan Cancer Institute/Brown University School of Medicine-Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, FL

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Gallbladder neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are exceedingly rare tumors and carry a poor prognosis. Racial/ethnic disparities and socioeconomic status have been known to influence cancer treatment and outcomes. This study explores racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in treatment patterns of primary gallbladder NETs, focusing on factors affecting receipt of chemotherapy and multimodal therapy. Methods: We analyzed primary gallbladder NETs patients using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2020. Racial groups were divided into White and Black categories, and then those groups were further divided into Hispanic White, non-Hispanic White, Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Black categories according to ethnicity. We considered socioeconomic factors, tumor histology, and facility type. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of receiving chemotherapy and multimodality therapy. The significance of disparities was determined using odds ratio (OR) and p-value. Results: Of 1,195 primary gallbladder NET patients, 59% (708 patients) underwent surgery. These patients had a median age of 65 years, with a female majority (64%) and predominantly White ethnicity (73.6%). Insurance coverage varied, with 48.9% having Medicare and 35.6% private insurance, while 3.9% were uninsured and 8.6% were covered by Medicaid. The study highlighted key factors affecting the receipt of surgery. Notably, racial disparities were apparent, with Black patients less likely to receive surgery compared to White patients (OR: 0.52; P < .001). Furthermore, patients with typical carcinoid tumors were markedly more likely to receive surgery than those with other histology (OR: 10.93; P < .001). The type of treatment facility was influential, with patients in Academic/Research Programs more likely to receive surgery (OR: 0.41; P < .001) than those in Community Cancer Programs. Conclusions: This study highlights racial and socioeconomic disparities in chemotherapy and multimodality therapy for gallbladder NETs, with Black, uninsured, and Medicaid-insured patients less likely to receive treatment. These findings call for targeted policy and healthcare reforms to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all patients with this condition.

Characteristics
All Patients
[n = 1195]
Median age, years 65
Sex
Female765 (64)
Male430 (36)
Race/Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White727(68.9)
Non-Hispanic Black210(19.9)
Hispanic130(11.4)
Asian
Insurance status
Private424(35.6)
Medicare583(48.9)
Medicaid102(8.6)
Uninsured47(3.9)
Income*
< $63,000706(65.8)
≥$63,000367(30.8)
Educational Attainment
< 7%232(28.9)
7%-20%347(40.8)
≥21%242(32.2)
Charlson-Deyo Score
0817(68.4)
1252(21.1)
≥2126(10.5)
Tumor histology
Neuroendocrine carcinoma400(33.5)
Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma386(33.2)
Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma115(9.6)
Typical carcinoid294(24.6)
Median tumor size, mm 107
AJCC stage
I15(1.2)
II11(0.9)
III93(7.8)
IV335(28.1)
Positive regional nodes
Yes192(61.5)
No120(38.5)
Tumor grades
1126(10.5)
221(1.8)
3 or undifferentiated383(32.0)
Site of metastasis
Liver304(25.4)
Bone37(3.0)
Lung17(1.4)
Brain8(0.6)
Unspecified45(3.8)

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Publication Only

Session Title

Publication Only: Gastrointestinal Cancer—Gastroesophageal, Pancreatic, and Hepatobiliary

Track

Gastrointestinal Cancer—Gastroesophageal, Pancreatic, and Hepatobiliary

Sub Track

Other GI Cancer

Citation

J Clin Oncol 42, 2024 (suppl 16; abstr e16385)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2024.42.16_suppl.e16385

Abstract #

e16385

Abstract Disclosures

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