Unlimited access to care: effect on racial disparity and prognostic factors in lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the prognostic factors influencing lung cancer survival under a universal health care system and determine if access to care eliminates clinical outcome disparity.


METHODS
Retrospective case series review.


BACKGROUND
Lung cancer survival is worse in men and in African Americans, thought to be related to poor general health in men and limited access to heath care in African Americans. The Military Health Care System, with unlimited access to care, provides an excellent setting for evaluating gender and racial disparities in lung cancer survival.


METHODS
Lung cancers diagnosed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, from 1990 to 2000, were evaluated by chart review for age, gender, race, smoking history, cancer history, histology, stage, and completeness of resection.


RESULTS
Seven hundred thirteen Caucasians and 173 African Americans, 2:1 male predominance, had a 22% 5-year survival. Cox model analysis showed that male gender [hazard ratio (HR, 1.31) 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.02-1.68], advanced-stage disease (stage III: HR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-4.26/stage IV: HR, 4.20; 95% CI, 2.51-7.41), and incomplete resection (HR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.75-5.99) were predictors of poor outcome; whereas bronchoalveolar carcinoma features (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.23-0.52) and smoking cessation >7 years (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99) were predictors of favorable outcome. No ethnic differences in survival were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
No racial disparities in survival when access to medical care is universal. Male gender, incomplete resection, and advanced stage are significant predictors of poor outcome in lung cancer.
Mulligan
Charles R
CR
Division of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Pathology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Room #4710A, 6900 Georgia Avenue, Northwest, Washington, DC 20307-5001, USA.
Meram
Amir D
AD
Proctor
Courtney D
CD
Wu
Hongyu
H
Zhu
Kangmin
K
Marrogi
Aizen J
AJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*