Tertiary center referral patterns for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome are indicative of age and race disparities: a single-institution experience.
Little is known about disparities in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with MDS (n = 252) evaluated at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center between 2000 and 2010. The median age at diagnosis was 65 years, which was lower than the median age of 76 years for patients with MDS in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Black males were younger than white males (62 vs. 68 years; p = 0.03) and had longer time to referral (9 vs. 1.5 months; p = 0.03), but black and white females did not differ in age or in time to referral. A difference in World Health Organization subtype classification was noted in black and white patients at diagnosis, but not at referral. There was no difference between all other pretreatment characteristics, treatment and survival by race. Our data suggest barriers to tertiary care referral for older patients and for black males.
University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Dan P
DP
Zandberg
Franklin
F
Hendrick
Emily
E
Vannorsdall
Jason
J
Bierenbaum
Michael L
ML
Tidwell
Yi
Y
Ning
Xianfeng Frank
XF
Zhao
Amy J
AJ
Davidoff
Maria R
MR
Baer
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015142:Baltimore; D044383:Black People; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American