Practices That Reduce the Latina Survival Disparity After Breast Cancer

Abstract Objectives: Latina breast cancer patients are 20 percent more likely to die within 5 years after diagnosis compared with white women, even though they have a lower incidence of breast cancer, lower general mortality rates, and some better health behaviors. Existing data only examine disparities in the utilization of breast cancer care; this research expands the study question to which utilization factors drive the shorter survival in Latina women compared with white women. Methods: This longitudinal linked Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare cohort study examined early stage breast cancer patients diagnosed between 1992 and 2000 and followed for 5–11 years after diagnosis (N=44,999). Modifiable utilization factors included consistent visits to primary care providers and to specialists after diagnosis, consistent post-diagnosis mammograms, and receipt of initial care consistent with current standards of care. Results: Of the four utilization factors potentially driving this d...