Less than one-third of Medicaid patients were diagnosed with head and neck cancer (HNC) at an early stage, and black patients were less likely to receive surgical treatment and more likely to die than white patients, according to a new study in JAMA Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery (April 18, 2013).
Researchers from RTI International and the Emory University School of Medicine examined the factors associated with receiving treatment and mortality among Medicaid patients with head and neck cancer.
The study included 1,308 Medicaid beneficiaries (ages 18 to 64 years), and used Medicaid claims linked with cancer registry data for California and Georgia from 2002 through 2006. The results included patient treatment and those who died between 12 and 24 months following diagnosis.
The study findings suggest that less than one-third of Medicaid patients were diagnosed with cancer at an early stage, the researchers noted. Overall, black patients were less likely to receive surgical treatment and more likely to die than white patients. Older age and disability status also were associated with increased 12-month mortality.
In addition, the study findings also revealed that patients in California fared better than those in Georgia. California patients who survive a year after diagnosis have about half the odds of dying within two years compared with those in Georgia.
"Concrete steps should be taken to address the significant racial disparities observed in head and neck cancer outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries," the study authors wrote.
Further research is needed to explore the state-level policies and attributes to examine the startling differences in mortality among the state Medicaid programs analyzed in this study, they added.
