Researchers in the state of Washington report that age, income level and insurance coverage all are significant factors in the determination of what treatments are recommended for patients with colorectal cancer.
The researchers linked Washington State's cancer registry and hospital discharge records to U.S. census data to assess the socioeconomic and demographic factors that go into treatment decisions.
Reporting in the journal Cancer, the researchers said patients over the age of 75 were at higher risk of having a treatment plan that did not include radiation or chemotherapy after surgery than patients under age 65.
The likelihood of no post-operative treatment was also more than double for patients in zip codes with the lowest per capita income compared to those in middle and upper-income zip codes.
The likehood of no post-operative treatment was also much higher for patients covered by Medicare compared to private insurance, the researchers said.
"The current findings suggest disparities in the provision of recommended medical procedures related to socioeconomic and demographic factors," the researchers concluded.
