A Feasibility Study of the Evaluation of the Florida Breast Cancer Early Detection Program Using the Statewide Cancer Registry

The Impact of Delays in Low-Income Women's Breast Cancer Experiences

BACKGROUND

Low-income, underinsured and uninsured women are less likely to be diagnosed via mammogram and more often diagnosed at later stages, with a resultant negative impact on survival. The New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program provides access to cancer screening services for low-income, underinsured and uninsured individuals. This program was recently evaluated, and it was found that enrollees were more likely to be diagnosed at later stages than nonenrollees, which may be related to delays in diagnosis and treatment OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if there were delays in diagnosis and treatment for program enrollees and, if so, what were the causes of these delays.

METHODS

A qualitative methodology was used incorporating in-depth interviews with 20 women diagnosed with breast cancer through the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program. Qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: poor access to healthcare, lack of knowledge, and sense of spirituality. Nineteen of 20 women experienced delays in care; 9 were diagnosed with late stage (III or IV) disease.

CONCLUSIONS

While the lack of insurance was a factor, fear, family needs, and a tendency to not prioritize their own health were additional reasons for delays in diagnosis and treatment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Programs such as this are integral to the care of low-income, uninsured individuals. However, such programs are not sufficient to meet the needs of low-income women. The lack of a usual source of care is likely to be a factor in the delays these women experienced.

Time from breast cancer diagnosis to treatment among Idaho's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program population, 2011-2017

PURPOSE

Idaho's Women's Health Check (WHC) Program provides breast and cervical cancer screening to under- and uninsured women via funding from the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Because WHC serves populations with less access to health care, this study evaluated time from breast cancer diagnosis to treatment for women enrolled in the WHC program and linked to Cancer Data Registry of Idaho (CDRI) case data (WHC-linked) and the remainder of female Idaho resident breast cases.

METHODS

Among Idaho residents aged 50-64 years diagnosed during 2011-2017 with ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer, we assessed differences in the median time from definitive diagnosis to treatment initiation overall and by demographic and tumor characteristics, and differences in the distribution of demographic and tumor-related variables between 231 WHC-linked and 3,040 non-linked breast cancer cases.

RESULTS

WHC-linked cases were significantly less likely to be non-Hispanic white, and more likely to live in poorer census tracts, be diagnosed at a later stage, and be treated with mastectomy. Most WHC-linked (92%) and non-linked women (94%) began treatment within 60 days of diagnosis; no differences in time to treatment were observed.

CONCLUSION

Disparities in the interval from definitive diagnosis to breast cancer treatment initiation were not observed for women enrolled in the WHC program relative to other Idaho women.

A 10-Year Evaluation of New Jersey's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: Comparison of Stage at Diagnosis in Enrollees and Nonenrollees

Purpose: The New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection (NJCEED) program provides breast cancer screening to low income, uninsured, and underinsured women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the NJCEED program by considering stage at diagnosis for women enrolled in NJCEED compared to women diagnosed in the state of New Jersey who were not enrollees. Materials and Methods: The sample included 47,162 women diagnosed with breast cancer; of those, 1,364 women were NJCEED enrollees. Enrollees were significantly different from nonenrollees in age, race, ethnicity, education, and poverty level. Results: In the logistic regression, NJCEED enrollees had 88.3% higher odds of being diagnosed at a late stage compared with nonenrollees (odds ratio [OR]: 1.883, confidential interval [CI]: 1.678-2.109). African American women had 54.9% higher odds of being diagnosed at a later stage (OR: 1.549, CI: 1.457-1.646). The likelihood of a late stage diagnosis increased as poverty level increased. Conclusion: These results were consistent with other National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program state evaluations, and with evaluations of the national program. Providing a free screening service is not in itself adequate to encourage screening in low-income uninsured women.

Survival Benefits of Treatment Access Among Underserved Breast Cancer Patients Diagnosed Through the Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Services Program

PURPOSE

The Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program was established to address socioeconomic disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening and survival. This study examined the impact of the program on treatment and survival of breast cancer patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed using the Texas Cancer Registry data linked to the BCCS program data. The sample consisted of 40- to 64-year-old women screened and diagnosed with breast cancer through the BCCS program (participants) and similar women living in low socioeconomic status census tracts and diagnosed outside the program (comparison group) during 1995-2008. Regular screeners among the participants were also compared with the comparison group.

RESULTS

Participants had lower rates of breast surgery and higher rates of chemotherapy as compared with the comparison group. Participants undergoing surgery had higher rates of mastectomy (as compared with breast-conserving surgery) and lower rates of adjuvant radiation therapy. Unadjusted survival rates were similar between the participants and the comparison group, and higher among regular screeners, which was primarily driven by stage at diagnosis. Adjusted survival rates were similar between the 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are differences in the types of treatment provided to the participants and the comparison group, there is no evidence of guideline noncompliance or stage-inappropriate treatment provision in either of the groups. Despite being diagnosed with a more advanced stage, the participants had similar unadjusted and adjusted survival rates as the comparison group. Access to timely treatment improved survival and brought the underserved participants on par with the comparison group.

Comparing Breast Cancer Outcomes Between Medicaid and the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

PURPOSE

To compare outcomes between women enrolling in Medicaid after being diagnosed with breast cancer and those referred to Medicaid through the Ohio Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP).

METHODS

Using linked data from the 2002 to 2008 Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, Medicaid, the BCCEDP database, and Ohio death certificates (through 2010), we identified women 40 to 64 years of age diagnosed with incident invasive breast cancer during the study years and enrolled in Medicaid 3 months before or after cancer diagnosis. We compared the following outcomes across BCCEDP one-time and repeat participants and nonparticipants: (1) cancer stage at diagnosis, (2) treatment delays, (3) receipt of standard treatment, and (4) survival. We conducted multivariable logistic regression and survival analysis to examine the association between BCCEDP participation and the outcomes of interest, controlling for potential confounders.

RESULTS

We identified 427 and 654 BCCEDP participants and nonparticipants, respectively; 28.5% of BCCEDP women were repeat participants. Compared with nonparticipants, BCCEDP one-time and repeat participants were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer (one-time: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.85; repeat: AOR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.52), or experience delays in treatment initiation (one-time: adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.51; repeat: AHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.72). In addition, although we observed no difference in receipt of standard cancer treatment, BCCEDP participants experienced cancer-specific and overall survival benefits.

CONCLUSION

Compared with nonparticipants, BCCEDP participants experienced earlier breast cancer stage at diagnosis, shorter time to treatment initiation, and survival benefits.

Breast cancer stage, surgery, and survival statistics for Idaho's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program population, 2004-2012

INTRODUCTION

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women in all states and US territories. In Idaho, a rural state with very low breast and cervical cancer screening rates, this program is called Women's Health Check (WHC). The program has been operating continuously since 1997 and served 4,719 enrollees in 2013. The objective of this study was to assess whether disparities existed in cause-specific survival (a net survival measure representing survival of a specified cause of death in the absence of other causes of death) between women screened by WHC and outside WHC and to determine how type of surgery or survival varies with stage at diagnosis.

METHODS

WHC data were linked to Idaho's central cancer registry to compare stage distribution, type of surgery, and cause-specific survival between women with WHC-linked breast cancer and a comparison group of women whose records did not link to the WHC database (nonlinked breast cancer).

RESULTS

WHC-linked breast cancer was significantly more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of disease than nonlinked breast cancer. Because of differences in stage distribution between WHC-linked and nonlinked breast cancers, overall age-standardized, cause-specific breast cancer survival proportions diverged over time, with a 5.1 percentage-point deficit in survival among WHC-linked cases at 5 years of follow-up (83.9% vs 89.0%). Differences in type of surgery and cause-specific survival were attenuated when controlling for stage.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that disparities may exist for Idaho WHC enrollees in the timely diagnosis of breast cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first study to publish comparisons of cause-specific breast cancer survival between NBCCEDP-linked and nonlinked cases.

Breast cancer stage at diagnosis among medically underserved women screened through the Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Services

The Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program was established to address the socioeconomic disparities in stage at diagnosis and outcomes among breast cancer patients. This study examines the impact of Texas BCCS on stage at diagnosis among low socioeconomic status (SES) breast cancer patients. This is a retrospective analysis of women aged 40-64 years who were screened and diagnosed with breast cancer through the Texas BCCS program (participants) as compared with similar women living in low-SES census tracts and diagnosed outside the program (comparison group) during 1995-2008. Incident cases among the participants were compared with the comparison group as well. Stage at diagnosis was also analyzed separately for the years 1995-2002 and 2003-2008 in order to estimate the effect of BCCS-related Medicaid expansion in 2002. Over the study period of 1995-2008, BCCS participants had a 1.23 (P value<0.0001) times higher odds, and BCCS incident cases had 40% (P value<0.0001) lower odds of advanced stage at diagnosis as compared with the comparison group. A statistically significant difference in stage at diagnosis between the participants and the comparison group only existed for the 2003-2008 (post-Medicaid) period (odds ratio: 1.39, P value<0.0001). Texas BCCS program acts as a source of diagnosis and treatment access to many suspected cancer cases, especially since the 2002 Medicaid expansion, leading to more advanced stage at diagnosis among the BCCS cases as compared with other low-SES cases. Significant expansion of the program to serve a higher proportion of the eligible population is needed to achieve its goals as a screening program.

Mortality outcome among medically underserved women screened through a publicly funded breast cancer control program, 1997-2007

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess treatment and mortality differences between women diagnosed with breast cancer through Nebraska's Every Woman Matters (EWM) program and women diagnosed through other sources.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed using 10 years of Nebraska Cancer Registry and EWM program data on women aged 40-74 years. This study used chi-square and multivariate logistic regression with mortality as the outcome of interest.

RESULTS

From 1997 to 2007, 4,739 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, 435 (9.1 %) of whom were diagnosed through EWM. The EWM and non-EWM groups differed significantly in age, race, marital status, location of residence at the time of diagnosis, neighborhood poverty level at the time of diagnosis, tumor stage at diagnosis, and chemotherapy. No significant differences were found between the two groups in radiation therapy, surgical resection, and hormone therapy. In both 1- and 5-year multivariate mortality models, the odds of dying for those in the EWM program were not statistically significantly different from the odds of dying for those not in the EWM program. In the 1-year mortality model, residents of urban metropolitan counties (OR 2.079; 95 % CI 1.663-2.598) had an increased odds of dying compared to residents of rural counties. In the 5-year mortality model, black women (OR 2.239; 95 % CI 1.453-3.450), residents of areas with a high (more than 20 %) neighborhood poverty level at the time of diagnosis (OR 1.589; 95 % CI 1.204-2.097), and unmarried women (OR 1.334; 95 % CI 1.164-1.528) had higher odds of death. Both groups have received similar treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted outreach to vulnerable groups for cancer screening may improve cancer outcomes and reduce disparities.

Effectiveness of Decentralized Community-Based Screening, Detection, and Treatment of Breast Cancer in Low-Income, Uninsured Women

Different systems exist currently in the provision of breast care to low-income, uninsured women. We assessed the efficacy of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer in this patient population through a decentralized network of providers. We retrospectively reviewed charts of all patients referred for evaluation and treatment under the Cancer Detection Program: Every Woman Counts (CDP:EWC), the California equivalent of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Detection and Prevention Program, in a suburban area of Los Angeles County. A total of 972 CDP:EWC screening mammograms was performed in the Antelope Valley during a 7-year study period (2000 to 2007). Sixty-two screened women aged 40 to 64 years were referred for further evaluation. Breast cancer detection rate per screening mammogram was 0.8 per cent; 80 per cent were early-stage breast cancer. The majority of the women (nine of 15) underwent breast conservation surgery. The axilla was staged using sentinel lymph node dissection and/or axillary lymph node dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation were administered to all eligible patients. Compliance with published practice guidelines was high. This suggests that a decentralized community-based network of providers may be an effective model to deliver breast care to a low-income, uninsured patient population.

Impact of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program on mammography and Pap test utilization among white, Hispanic, and African American women: 1996-2000

Prevention, including routine cancer screening, is key to meeting national goals for the elimination of death and suffering due to cancer. Since 1991, the U.S. government has invested in programs such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to detect breast and cervical cancer early among uninsured low-income women. A concomitant goal is reducing racial disparities in screening and early detection, and the NBCCEDP program targets low-income women who are more often racial and ethnic minorities. This paper analyzes data to test for effects of the NBCCEDP and other determinants of screening across racial/ethnic groups. We used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 1996 through 2000. These data indicate that gaps in testing for breast and cervical cancers between African American and non-Hispanic white women aged 40-64 years have closed but remain for Hispanics. Multivariate findings indicate that the longevity of free screening sites through the NBCCEDP significantly increased both tests for non-Hispanic white women. The data do not confirm this effect for other racial and ethnic groups. Analysis did indicate that public insurance, or Medicaid, was equal to private insurance in promoting increased testing for African Americans and Hispanics, but not for non-Hispanic whites. Assuring that Medicaid remains available for women in this nonelderly group and increasing access to free screening sites can lead us closer to national screening goals, yet policies still need to address racial/ethnic disparities in insurance and service delivery. Cancer 2007. (c) 2006 American Cancer Society.

The effects of a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program on social disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Massachusetts

OBJECTIVE

To assess social disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment by comparing the stage at diagnosis and treatment of women diagnosed with breast cancer through a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) for low income and uninsured women in Massachusetts, the Women's Health Network (WHN), to other breast cancer patients in the state.

METHODS

We linked data from the WHN and the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR). We compared 331 WHN women and 13,372 other breast cancer patients in Massachusetts diagnosed from 1995 to 1999. We used logistic regression, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, region of residence, and stage, where appropriate.

RESULTS

Compared to other breast cancer patients reported to the MCR, WHN women were just as likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage (III or IV), treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, and treated with complete mastectomy versus partial mastectomy. WHN women were less likely to receive radiation therapy (odds ratio = 0.7; 95% confidence interval = 0.6-0.9), particularly after partial mastectomy, and had a slightly longer time from diagnosis to treatment than other breast cancer patients (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Women diagnosed with breast cancer through a NBCCEDP in Massachusetts had similar stage and treatment patterns as other breast cancer patients in the state, except for the use of radiation therapy.