Factors associated with contralateral preventive mastectomy.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is a surgical option for women to reduce breast cancer risk or recurrence.
• Limited data exists on demographic factors influencing the choice of CPM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate demographic differences among patients undergoing CPM.
• To identify predictors of CPM utilization in invasive breast cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Linked population-based data from Florida cancer registry, healthcare administration, and US census (1996-2009).
• Analyzed rates of CPM based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), marital status, and insurance status.
• Utilized multivariate analyses to determine predictors of CPM.

Main Results:

• Overall CPM rate was 3.9% (837/21,608 patients).
• White patients and Hispanic patients showed higher CPM rates compared to Black and non-Hispanic patients, respectively.
• Higher SES and private insurance were associated with significantly higher CPM rates, while Black race and lack of insurance were associated with lower rates.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in CPM utilization exist across racial, socioeconomic, and insurance groups.
• These disparities are not explained by population distribution, incidence, or disease stage.
• In-depth studies are crucial to address the underlying causes of these healthcare access and choice disparities.