Black Octogenarians With Breast Cancer Have Worse Survival Outcomes Compared to Whites

Elderly Black women (≥ 80 years) with invasive breast cancer (BC) have inferior survival compared with elderly White women, according to a study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

“As the US faces a diverse aging population, racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes among elderly patients remain poorly understood. We evaluate the association of race with presenting stage, treatment, and survival of invasive breast cancer among octogenarians,” the researchers noted.

This study consisted of 222,897 patients identified using the 2004-2020 NCDB, of which 8.6% (n=19,059) were Black. The investigators assessed overall survival using the logrank test, while multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression models were developed to evaluate the link between race with outcomes.

The study found that Black patients more frequently had greater comorbidities, low income and education, and advanced stage disease. The findings also showed that Black women had increased likelihood of Stage III/IV disease over time, as well as increased odds of chemotherapy (AOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15 – 1.29) and non-operative management (AOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.72 – 1.92; ref: White). The researchers did note that although Black patients had lower survival rates compared to White, race was not associated with 5-year mortality following adjustment for stage, receipt of surgery, and adjuvant treatments (p = 0.34).

“While such disparities are narrowing in the present era, future work must consider upstream interventions to ensure equitable outcomes for all races,” the researchers concluded.