Diminished socioeconomic and racial disparity in the detection of early-stage breast cancer, Connecticut, 1986-1995.
Annual counts, proportional distributions, and age-adjusted incidence rates of disease by stage at diagnosis are reported for 27,970 in situ and invasive breast cancers from the Connecticut Tumor Registry, 1986-1995. Odds ratios for the likelihood of late-stage disease by year of diagnosis, age category, race/ethnicity, and the socioeconomic level of community of residence are presented. More breast cancer is diagnosed today at earlier, treatable stages than was previously the case. Nonetheless, young women, non-whites, and residents of low-to-moderate income census tracts were all at increased risk of being diagnosed with late-stage disease than were their respective reference groups. From 1986 through 1990, there was little change in the greater likelihood that non-whites and disadvantaged women would be diagnosed with late-stage disease. For 1990-95, however, the disparity in late-stage diagnosis by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic standing was greatly decreased.
Gregorio
D I
DI
Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington 06030-6205, USA. gregorio@nso.uchc.edu
Walsh
S J
SJ
Tate
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors