Background: Recent studies examining treatment disparities in thyroid cancer care found that appropriate use of surgery and radioactive iodine may be improving over time.
Methods: California Cancer Registry and California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development data was evaluated for the effect of race on overall and disease-specific survival for thyroid cancer in California (1999-2017). Reoperation data was also examined. We hypothesized treatment and outcome disparities would persist between Black and white patients.
Results: Black patients with thyroid cancer had worse overall survival than white patients (p < 0.01). No difference was found in disease-specific survival between Black and white patients after adjusting for SES and health insurance status. Black patients underwent reoperation less frequently (1.4%) (HR = 0.70 [CI, 0.50-0.99], p < 0.05) than white patients (2.0%).
Conclusions: SES and insurance type are drivers of disparities in thyroid cancer survival in Black patients. Addressing social determinants of health or healthcare access are paramount to addressing disparities in thyroid cancer between Black and white patients.
Keywords: California cancer registry; Racial disparities; Reoperation; Thyroid cancer.
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.