Disparities in Pancreatic Cancer Survival: The Overlooked Role of Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains highly lethal, but the contribution of nonbiological factors to long-term survival is unclear. We evaluated demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, treatment, and care-delivery factors associated with 3-year survival and whether these associations persisted at 5 years.

National Cancer Database patients with stage I-III PDAC diagnosed from 2012 to 2022 were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for treatment pathway.

Among 57,053 patients, 51,071 were eligible for a 3-year analysis, and 12,205 (23.9%) survived. Compared with chemotherapy alone, surgery with chemotherapy (OR, 7.12; 95% CI, 6.64-7.63) and surgery alone (OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 3.49-4.23) had the strongest associations with survival. Younger age, lower comorbidity, Asian race, Spanish/Hispanic ethnicity, private insurance, lower grade, body or tail location, and lower nodal burden were independently associated with survival. Black race and treatment timing were not significant after adjustment. Findings were directionally consistent at 5 years.

Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors independently influence 3-year survival in PDAC. These findings underscore the need to complement biologic and therapeutic advances with structural interventions, such as insurance expansion and improved access to high-quality centers, to mitigate disparities and improve outcomes in this highly lethal cancer.