IMPORTANCEAlthough US cancer survival rates have increased over time, disparities by race/ethnicity remain, including for children and adolescents.OBJECTIVE To examine whether racial/ethnic disparities in childhood and adolescent cancer survival vary by cancer type according to relative survival rates (RSRs), a marker for amenability to medical intervention. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSIn a retrospective cohort study using US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data, 67 061 children and adolescents diagnosed at ages 0 to 19 years with a first primary malignant cancer from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2016, were evaluated. Data analysis was performed from June 19 to November 3, 2019. Participants were followed up from the dates of diagnosis to cancer death or the end of the follow-up period, whichever came first.EXPOSURES Race/ethnicity defined as non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native, non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic (any race). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESCancer amenability was defined using 5-year RSRs for 103 cancer types. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% CIs for the association between race/ethnicity and cancer survival for high (>85% RSR), medium (70%-85% RSR), and low (<70% RSR) amenability categories. RESULTS Among 67 061 cancer cases, 36 064 were male (53.8%); most individuals were non-Hispanic white (35 186 [52.5%]) followed by Hispanic of any race (19 220 [28.7%]), non-Hispanic black (7100 [10.6%]), non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (4981 [7.4%]), and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native (574 [0.9%]). Mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 9.66 (6.41) years. Compared with non-Hispanic white children and adolescents, a higher aHR of death was observed for high-than low-amenability cancers for non-Hispanic black patients

IMPORTANCEApproximately 1 in 5 new patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in the US belong to racial and ethnic minority groups, but their survival rates are worse than White individuals. However, because most studies compare Black vs White patients, little is known about survival differences among members of racial and ethnic minority groups.OBJECTIVE To describe differential survival and identify nonclinical factors associated with stage of presentation among patients with HNC belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups.

No abstract

The role of induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains controversial. The primary aim of this study was to use the National Cancer Database to evaluate the patterns of care of induction chemotherapy in NPC and its impact on overall survival (OS). Patients with NPC from 2004 to 2014 were obtained from the NCDB. Patients were considered to have received induction chemotherapy if it was started ≥43 days before the start of RT and concurrent CRT if chemotherapy started within 21 days after the start of RT. Propensity score matching was used to control for selection bias. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine significant predictors of OS. Logistic regression model was used to determine predictors of the use of induction chemotherapy. Significance was defined as a P value <.05. A total of 4857 patients were identified: 4041 patients (87.2%) received concurrent CRT and 816 patients (16.8%) received induction chemotherapy. The use of induction therapy remained stable between 2004 and 2014. Younger patients and those with higher T‐ and N‐stage had a higher likelihood of being treated with induction chemotherapy. The 5‐year OS in patients treated with induction chemotherapy and CRT was 66.3% vs 69.1%, respectively (P = .25). There was no difference in OS when these two groups were analyzed after propensity score matching. No differences in OS existed between these treatment groups in patients with T3‐T4N1 or TanyN2‐3 disease (P = .76). Propensity score matching also did not reveal any difference in OS in patients with T3‐T4N1 or TanyN2‐3 disease. The use of induction chemotherapy has remained stable in the last decade. In this study of patients with NPC, induction chemotherapy was not associated with improved OS compared to CRT alone.

No abstract

Background While Medicaid expansion is associated with decreased uninsured rates and earlier cancer diagnoses, no study has demonstrated an association between Medicaid expansion and cancer mortality. Our primary objective was to quantify the relationship between early Medicaid expansion and changes in cancer mortality rates. Methods We obtained county-level data from the National Center for Health Statistics for adults ages 20–64 who died from cancer from 2007–2009 (pre-expansion) and 2012–2016 (post-expansion). We compared changes in cancer mortality rates in early Medicaid expansion states (CA, CT, DC, MN, NJ, and WA) vs. non-expansion states through a difference-in-differences (DID) analysis using hierarchical Bayesian regression. An exploratory analysis of cancer mortality changes associated with the larger-scale 2014 Medicaid expansions was also performed. Results In adjusted DID analyses, we observed a statistically significant decrease of 3.07 (95% credible interval = 2.19 to 3.95) cancer deaths per 100,000 in early expansion vs. non-expansion states, which translates to an estimated decrease of 5,276 cancer deaths in the early expansion states during the study period. Expansion-associated decreases in cancer mortality were observed for pancreatic cancer. Exploratory analyses of the 2014 Medicaid expansions showed a decrease in pancreatic cancer mortality (-0.18 deaths per 100,000, 95% confidence interval = -0.32 to -0.05) in states that expanded Medicaid by 2014 compared to non-expansion states. Conclusion(s) Early Medicaid expansion was associated with reduced cancer mortality rates, especially for pancreatic cancer, a cancer with short median survival where changes in prognosis would be most visible with limited follow-up.

IMPORTANCE Despite evidence of improved insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion among adults with cancer, little is known regarding the association of these policies with coverage among children with cancer.OBJECTIVE To assess the association of early Medicaid expansion with rates of Medicaid coverage, private coverage, and no uninsurance among children with cancer.

IMPORTANCEPatients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are known to be at increased risk of suicide compared with the general population, but there has been insufficient research on whether this risk differs based on patients' rural, urban, or metropolitan residence status.OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the risk of suicide among patients with HNC differs by rural vs urban or metropolitan residence status.