Researchers from Analysis Group, a world leader in Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), co-authored the first large-scale study to uncover racial disparities in treatment, survival, and access to care for patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) since the 2018 approval of the first novel hormone therapy.
The study, published in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, found that Black patients were significantly less likely to receive novel treatments and had a higher risk of dying from mCSPC than White patients.
understanding health outcomes by race and socioeconomic status. Per the clinical guidelines for treating mCSPC, the study defined TI as patients who received docetaxel; novel hormone therapy (abiraterone, apalutamide, or enzalutamide); or both, in addition to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
The findings show the following:
Black patients were far less likely to receive TI than White patients (32% less likely in Medicare; 25% less likely in VHA).
Black patients had a 20% higher risk of death than White patients in the Medicare population. There was no significant difference in OS between Black and White patients in the VHA population.
Overall TI rates were modest across all patients (10.3% in Medicare; 19.9% in VHA), despite being recommended in treatment guidelines.
Within the Medicare population, patients dually eligible for Medicaid were 33% less likely to receive TI and had a 50% higher risk of death than patients not eligible for Medicaid.
