The Impact of Race on Pancreatic Cancer Treatment and Survival in the VA Health Care System

A study published in Pancreas explores the impact of race on pancreatic cancer treatment and survival within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, revealing disparities in disease stage, treatment options, and mortality rates between White and Black patients despite equal access to care.

Previous research indicates that racial disparities in pancreatic cancer care persist even among patients with access to health care. To investigate what disparities exist in the VA health care system, researchers analyzed data from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry from 2010 to 2018, looking at the association between race and stage at diagnosis, treatment received, and survival while adjusting for other factors.

Among a study population of 8529 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 79.5% were White and 20.5% were Black. Black patients were found to be 19% more likely to present with late-stage disease and 25% less likely to undergo surgical resection. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and medical comorbidities, Black patients had a 13% higher risk of mortality compared to White patients, although this difference was no longer statistically significant after accounting for cancer stage and receipt of potentially curative treatment.

“Equal access to healthcare might have reduced but failed to eliminate disparities. Dedicated efforts are needed to understand reasons underlying these disparities in an attempt to close these persistent gaps,” researchers said. 

Reference
Khalaf N, Xu A, Nguyen W, et al. The impact of race on pancreatic cancer treatment and survival in the nationwide veterans affairs healthcare system. Pancreas. 2024;53(1):27-33. doi:10.1097/MPA.0000000000002272