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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Javette C. Orgain, MD, MPH, Cancer Career and Educational Development Program, University of Illinois at Chicago Cancer Center, P.O. Box 806527, Chicago, IL 60680-4126, 312.514.3402, orgain@uic.edu

Ascertaining disparities in breast cancer diagnostic procedures

I. Background: Literature is scarce regarding variations, by age, race, and insurance, in the performance of surgical procedures such as fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) or core needle biopsy (CNB) to evaluate a palpable breast mass for the purpose of diagnosing breast cancer.

II. Objectives: The Illinois Department of Public Health - Illinois Hospital Discharge Public Data File data set was analyzed to determine if any differences existed by age, race, and insurance in the receipt of FNAB or CNB.

II. Methods: Data for African American (AA) and white women with a diagnosis of breast cancer and non-malignant breast conditions who underwent FNAB and CNB during the years 1995-2004 was analyzed using SPSS.

IV. Results: Preliminary results revealed no significance difference in the receipt of FNAB as a primary or secondary procedure: 32% vs. 36% and 3.4% vs. 3.7%, AA vs. white, primary and secondary respectively. A greater percentage of white women underwent CNB without imaging: 6.4% AA vs. 8.1% white. Insurance was the primary payer for each age group until age 65.

V. Discussion: A better understanding, assessed by age, race, and insurance, of the intermediate steps from evaluating a palpable breast mass to determining a definitive diagnosis of benign or malignant breast conditions may help in the development of earlier interventions to reduce the gap in breast cancer mortality rates.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the current surgical and/or technological procedures recommended for the evaluation of a palpable breast mass.
• Recognize the importance of collecting and accurately documenting data on age, race/ethnicity, and insurance in order to assess healthcare disparities.

Keywords: African American, Breast Cancer

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No