Department of Radiology
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Ponce 2012

 

Year: 2012

Title: Disparities in cancer screening in individuals with a family history of breast or colorectal cancer

Country: United States

Age: Adult Only

Sex: Female

Population: Multiple Groups

Care Setting: Outpatient Ambulatory and Primary Care

Clinical Setting: Breast Cancer Screening

Data Level: State

Data Type: Government Survey

Data Source: California Health Interview Survey

Conclusion: No Disparities Based on Patient Race/Ethnicity

Health OutComes Reported: No

Mitigation: No

Free Text Conclusion: No race/ethnicity difference in mammography for women with family history of cancer.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Understanding racial/ethnic disparities in cancer screening by family history risk could identify critical opportunities for patient and provider interventions tailored to specific racial/ethnic groups. The authors evaluated whether breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities varied by family history risk using a large, multiethnic population-based survey. METHODS: By using the 2005 California Health Interview Survey, BC and CRC screening were evaluated separately with weighted multivariate regression analyses, and stratified by family history risk. Screening was defined for BC as mammogram within the past 2 years for women aged 40 to 64 years; for CRC, screening was defined as annual fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy within the past 5 years, or colonoscopy within the past 10 years for adults aged 50 to 64 years. RESULTS: The authors found no significant BC screening disparities by race/ethnicity or income in the family history risk groups. Racial/ethnic disparities were more evident in CRC screening, and the Latino-white gap widened among individuals with family history risk. Among adults with a family history for CRC, the magnitude of the Latino-white difference in CRC screening (odds ratio [OR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.60) was more substantial than that for individuals with no family history (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of their family history widened the Latino-white gap in CRC screening among adults. More aggressive interventions that enhance the communication between Latinos and their physicians about family history and cancer risk could reduce the substantial Latino-white screening disparity in Latinos most susceptible to CRC.