Tamara Thomas

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A study being presented at the 2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting &amp; Exposition assessed factors associated with refusal to receive treatment for multiple myeloma (MM).
For this study, Dr. Firas Baidoun of Mayo Clinic-Florida, and colleagues examined factors influencing patients receiving MM treatment. The study comprised over 86,000 patients with MM from the National Cancer Database who were recommended by a physician to initiate therapy. The researchers also recorded the number of patients with MM who refused treatment.
Of 86,350 eligible participants, 2,508 (2.9%) refused to receive treatment for myeloma. Of them, almost 53% were women, 64% were White, 21.3% were African American, and 5.2% were Hispanic.
Dr. Baidoun and colleagues found that patients treated at comprehensive and integrated facilities were more likely to refuse MM treatment than those at academic facilities. The team also observed that women were less likely to accept myeloma treatment than men.
Black patients were also more likely to refuse treatment than White patients. Similarly, higher refusal treatment rates were found in people with Medicaid. The study found that 2.8% of Black patients refused treatment and were more likely to have Medicare. In contrast, 2.9% of White patients refused treatment, and they were more likely to receive care at community, comprehensive, or integrated facilities rather than academic medical centers.
The researchers found that having private insurance and higher income levels was associated with a lower likelihood of refusing treatment. They note that “insurance status is an important driver of refusal and transcends race/ethnicity.”
The authors concluded, “In this study, we highlight characteristics that are specific to different racial/ethnic groups, like [Charlson Comorbidity Index], which affects only certain racial/ethnic groups. This provides an opportunity to develop targeted interventions such that the benefit of therapeutic advancements can be realized by all.”
Reference
Baidoun F, Roy V, Parrondo RD, et al. <a href="https://ash.confex.com/ash/2024/webprogram/Paper206308.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disparities in Multiple Myeloma: Race/Ethnicity-Specific Sociodemographic and Economic Factors That May Drive Patient Decisions to Refuse Treatment</a>. Abstract #3790. Presented at the 2024 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting &amp; Exposition; December 7-10, 2024; San Diego, California.

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Patients who were Black or female were more likely to refuse treatment for multiple myeloma. 

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