title: Association of socioeconomic and practical unmet needs with self-reported nonadherence to cancer treatment appointments in low-income Latino and Black cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment adherence, with minimal numbers of missed appointments, is an important determinant of survival among cancer patients. This study aims to determine if unmet financial, logistic, and supportive care needs predict self-reported adherence to cancer treatment appointments of chemotherapy and/or radiation among low-income ethnic minority patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included 1098 underserved Latino and Black patients recruited from cancer clinics in New York City through the Cancer Portal Project. Participants completed a survey which included sociodemographic, health-related questions and a needs assessment, in their preferred language. Patients' adherence to chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment appointments was assessed using a self-report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A sample of 1098 patients (581 Latino and 517 Black cancer patients) was recruited. Forty-two Latino cancer patients (7.4%) and 78 Black cancer patients (15.5%) reported missing treatment appointments. Patients, who experienced four or more unmet needs (odds ratios [OR] = 2.02-3.36), and those with unmet housing needs (OR = 3.10-3.31), were more likely to report missing cancer treatment appointments, regardless of their ethnicity/race. Black patients with unmet supportive care (OR = 2.27) and health insurance needs (OR = 3.80) were more likely to miss appointments. Amongst Latinos, legal health-related issues (OR = 2.51) was a significant predictor of missed appointments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among ethnic minority cancer patients, unmet socioeconomic and supportive care needs, housing needs in particular, predicted patient-reported missed radiation, and/or chemotherapy appointments. Future research should focus on exploring the impact of practical and supportive unmet needs on adherence and development of interventions aiming to improve cancer treatment adherence.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costas-Muniz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aragones
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Mohammed Imran
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Mujawar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences , Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gany
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D009519:New York City; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011203:Poverty; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D001741:Black or African American
keywords: Blacks; Latinos; adherence; cancer; immigrant health; unmet needs