Socioeconomic disparities and bladder cancer stage at diagnosis: a statewide cohort analysis

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2025

Publication Title

JNCI Cancer Spectr

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide. Despite its prevalence, large-scale studies on the relationship between socioeconomic disparities and disease stage at presentation are lacking. This study examines the association between the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a robust measure of socioeconomic status, and stage at diagnosis among bladder cancer patients.

METHODS: Patients diagnosed with bladder cancer (any TNM stage) from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (2004-2019) were retrospectively analyzed. ADI was assigned based on patients' residential census-block group and stratified into quartiles, with the fourth quartile (ADI 75-100) representing the most deprived. Multivariable logistic regression tested the impact of ADI on advanced disease stages (muscle invasive disease [≥T2], positive nodal status [cN+], metastatic disease [cM+]).

RESULTS: Among 29 010 patients, the majority were non-Hispanic White (92%), males (75%), and residents in metropolitan areas (81%). Patients in the third and fourth ADI quartiles had higher rates of ≥T2 (22%, 24.5%) compared with the first and second quartiles (18%, 19.5%) (P <  .001), as well as increased rates of cN+ (3.4%, 3.7%) and cM+ (2.8%, 3.2%) (P <  .001). Multivariable regression showed that each 10-unit rise in ADI increased odds of T2 by 4% (95% CI = 1.03 to 1.06, P <  .001), cN+ by 4% (95% CI = 1.01 to 1.07, P = .038), and cM+ by 6% (95% CI = 1.02 to 1.09, P = .003).

CONCLUSION: Higher ADI correlates with advanced bladder cancer stages at diagnosis. Addressing these disparities is essential to improve outcomes in bladder cancer care.

Medical Subject Headings

Humans; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/pathology/diagnosis/epidemiology; Male; Female; Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Middle Aged; Michigan/epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors; Aged; 80 and over; Health Status Disparities; Logistic Models; Healthcare Disparities; Socioeconomic Disparities in Health

PubMed ID

40445186

ePublication

ePub ahead of print

Volume

9

Issue

4

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