Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cervical Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Mediating Effects of Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Deprivation

Authors

Itunu O Sokale
Abiodun O Oluyomi
Jane R Montealegre
Aaron P Thrift

Publication Date

6-1-2023

Journal

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

DOI

10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0038

PMID

37067295

PMCID

PMC10233349

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

4-3-2023

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-Print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Female, Humans, Ethnicity, Hispanic or Latino, Socioeconomic Factors, United States, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms, White, Black or African American, Residence Characteristics

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mortality from cervical cancer has declined steadily in the United States over the past several decades due to widespread screening for precancerous and early-stage cervical cancer (ECC), which are significantly easier to treat compared with late-stage cervical cancer (LCC). Unequal screening access continues to cause significant racial/ethnic disparities in cervical cancer diagnosis stage. This study examined the underlying role of neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage as a potential mediator of the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer diagnosis stage.

METHODS: We analyzed Texas Cancer Registry data for cervical cancer cases diagnosed among women ages 18 or older from 2010 to 2018. We performed causal mediation analyses of the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer stage at diagnosis mediated by neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage.

RESULTS: Of the 9,192 women with cervical cancer, 4,720 (51.3%) had LCC at diagnosis. Compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) women (106.13, standard deviation (SD) = 13.32), non-Hispanic Black (NHB; 111.46, SD = 9.55) and Hispanic (112.32, SD = 9.42) women had higher area deprivation index (ADI) and had greater odds of LCC diagnosis [total effects: adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 1.29 (95% CI, 1.11-1.46) and AOR 1.14 (95% CI, 1.03-1.25), respectively]. Approximately 34.7% and 71.6% of the disparity in LCC diagnosis were attributable to higher neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage among NHB and Hispanic women, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: LCC disparity varied by race/ethnicity and was partly attributable to neighborhood disadvantage. The disparity among Hispanic women due to neighborhood deprivation was twice as high among NHB women.

IMPACT: Findings may be used to develop targeted race- and place-specific interventions to improve cancer care equity.