Area Socioeconomic Status and Early Onset Rectal Cancer in a Comprehensive Cancer Center: Evidence from Wisconsin

The incidence of early-onset rectal cancer has increased over the past 3 decades and the causes are unknown. Neighborhood socioeconomic status, a measure of social and economic characteristics in a given area, may be associated with early-onset rectal cancer through environments that affect diet, exercise, and health care utilization. We investigated the association between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status and age at rectal cancer diagnosis in Wisconsin.

We utilized data on 172 rectal cancer patients from the Carbone Cancer Center rectal cancer registry. We measured neighborhood socioeconomic status using the Area Deprivation Index, derived from 17 census measures of education, employment, income, and housing, standardized at the state and national levels. Linear and logistic regression models were employed to estimate the association between the Area Deprivation Index and age at diagnosis.

Of the 172 cases of rectal cancer, 47 (27%) were considered early-onset (<50 years). Null associations were observed between the Area Deprivation Index and age at diagnosis using the national- and state-standardized index. Moreover, estimates using the nationally standardized index suggested lower odds of early-onset rectal cancer in lower socioeconomic status neighborhoods (ORQ5 = 0.11, 95% CI, 0.01-1.89).

This study initiates research investigating the association between area-level socioeconomic status and early-onset rectal cancer. While we find no association between the Area Deprivation Index and early-onset rectal cancer, we posit these findings are due to the characteristics of our sample. Future studies are needed to comprehensively explore associations between social factors and early rectal cancer outcomes.