Determining the association of rurality and cardiovascular disease among prostate cancer survivors

Risks of adverse health outcomes among older rural prostate cancer survivors in the SEER-Medicare data

BACKGROUND

Rural prostate cancer patients face challenges such as greater distance for cancer treatment and care fragmentation. There have been very few studies investigating adverse health outcomes among prostate cancer survivors residing in rural areas. A comprehensive evaluation of adverse health outcomes among rural prostate cancer patients is needed to understand potential health disparities and provide scientific evidence for interventions. The aims of this study were to investigate prevalent and incident adverse health outcomes among older rural prostate cancer survivors compared to urban prostate cancer survivors in the United States.

METHODS

The SEER-Medicare linked database was used to identify first primary prostate cancer survivors. Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), comparing rural prostate cancer patients to urban prostate cancer patients.

RESULTS

A total of 37,126 rural prostate cancer survivors and 109,176 urban prostate cancer survivors were identified. We observed that rural prostate cancer survivors had a higher prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis (22.1% vs 20.9%; P-value <.001) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/bronchiectasis (14.2% vs 10.5%; P-value <.001). A higher incident risk of acute myocardial infarction, COPD/bronchiectasis, hip pelvic fracture, and rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis among rural prostate cancer was observed compared to their urban counterparts >5 years after cancer diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides important results on the prevalence and incident adverse health outcomes among older rural prostate cancer survivors. Further investigation into how other factors influence these disparities is warranted.

Rising mortality related to cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer amongst older men across the United States

OBJECTIVE

There is a significant association between cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and prostate cancer (PCa), leading to high mortality. This study evaluates the trends in mortality associated with CVDs and PCa among older (≥ 65 years) men in the United States (US).

METHODS

This analysis utilized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER). The analysis of Multiple Cause of Death Files was carried out from 1999 to 2019 to identify fatalities with CVD and PCa listed as either contributory or underlying causes of death. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 populations for variables such as year, race and ethnicity, and geographic regions were determined. To assess annual percent change (APC), a Joinpoint regression program was employed.

RESULTS

Overall AAMR was 54.3 in 1999 and 34.6 in 2019. After a decline in AAMR from 1999 to 2015, an alarming rise in mortality was observed until 2019. Mortality rates were highest among Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and African American men (74.9). Geographically, the highest mortalities were witnessed in the West (46.4) and non-metropolitan areas (44.6). States with AAMRs ranking in the 90th percentile were Nebraska, California, North Dakota, the District of Columbia, and Mississippi.

CONCLUSION

After decreasing death rates associated with CVD and PCa from 1999 to 2015, a reversal in the trend was observed from 2015 to 2019. Addressing this increase in death rates, especially among the vulnerable population, requires focused attention and targeted strategies to implement necessary safeguards in the upcoming years.

Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease-Related Outcomes Among Cancer Survivors in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States (US). Cancer survivors have increased risks for CVD and CVD-related mortality due to multiple factors including cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity. Disparities are rooted in differential exposure to risk factors and social determinants of health (SDOH), including systemic racism. This review aimed to assess SDOH's role in disparities, document CVD-related disparities among US cancer survivors, and identify literature gaps for future research.

METHODS

Following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) guidelines, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched on March 15, 2021, with an update conducted on September 26, 2023. Articles screening was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020, a pre-defined Population, Exposure, Comparison, Outcomes, and Settings (PECOS) framework, and the Rayyan platform. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias, and RAW Graphs for alluvial charts. This review is registered with PROSPERO under ID #CRD42021236460.

RESULTS

Out of 7,719 retrieved articles, 24 were included, and discussed diverse SDOH that contribute to CVD-related disparities among cancer survivors. The 24 included studies had a large combined total sample size (n=7,704,645; median=19,707). While various disparities have been investigated, including rural-urban, sex, socioeconomic status, and age, a notable observation is that non-Hispanic Black cancer survivors experience disproportionately adverse CVD outcomes when compared to non-Hispanic White survivors. This underscores historical racism and discrimination against non-Hispanic Black individuals as fundamental drivers of CVD-related disparities.

CONCLUSIONS

Stakeholders should work to eliminate the root causes of disparities. Clinicians should increase screening for risk factors that exacerbate CVD-related disparities among cancer survivors. Researchers should prioritise the investigation of systemic factors driving disparities in cancer and CVD and develop innovative interventions to mitigate risk in cancer survivors.