Region of origin and cervical cancer stage in multiethnic Hispanic/Latinx patients living in the United States

Abstract

Background

Hispanic/Latinx people have the second highest cervical cancer incidence rates in the U.S. However, there is a lack of disaggregated data on clinical outcomes for this diverse and populous group, which is critical to direct resources and funding where they are most needed. This study assessed differences in stage at diagnosis of cervical cancer among Hispanic/Latinx subpopulations and associated factors.

Methods

We analyzed patients with primary cervical cancer from 2004 to 2019 in the National Cancer Database. Hispanic/Latinx patients were further categorized into Mexican, Puerto Rican (PR), Cuban, Dominican, and Central/South American, as per standard NCDB categories, and evaluated based on stage at diagnosis and sociodemographic characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression quantified the odds of advanced stage at presentation. Regression models were adjusted for age, education, neighborhood income, insurance status, and additional factors.

Results

Hispanic/Latinx cervical cancer patients were more likely to be uninsured (18.9% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001) and more likely to live in low‐income neighborhoods (28.6% vs. 16.9%, p < 0.001) when compared to non‐Hispanic White populations. Uninsured Hispanic/Latinx patients had 37.0% higher odds of presenting with regional versus localized disease (OR 1.37; 95% CI, 1.19–1.58) and 47.0% higher odds of presenting with distant versus. Localized disease than insured patients (OR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.33–1.62). When adjusting for age, education, neighborhood income, and insurance status, PR patients were 48% more likely than Mexican patients to present with stage IV versus stage I disease (OR 1.48; 95% CI, 1.34–1.64).

Conclusion

Disaggregating health data revealed differences in stage at cervical cancer presentation among Hispanic/Latinx subpopulations, with insurance status as a major predictor. Further work targeting structural factors, such as insurance status, within specific Hispanic/Latinx subpopulations is needed.