Hispanic/Latino Ethnicity is an Independent Predictor of Worse Survival for Gastric Cancer in a Multicenter Safety-Net Patient Population

Abstract Background: Various population-based studies have shown Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is a risk factor for worse survival in patients with gastric cancer linked to disparate access to care. We aimed to address whether Hispanic patients treated within safety-net hospital systems continue to experience this survival deficit compared to non-Hispanic patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study comparing survival between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020, within Los Angeles County’s safety-net hospital system. Gastric cancer–specific survival was compared between the two cohorts using the Kaplan–Meier estimate and Cox proportional-hazards regression model. Results: In total, 448 patients who received care from five medical centers were included; 348 (77.7%) patients self-identified as Hispanic and 100 (22.3%) as non-Hispanic. Mean follow-up time was 2.0 years (median 0.91 years, IQR, 0.34–2.5 years). Hispanic patients were found to be diagnosed at a younger age (55.6 vs. 60.7 years, P 0.01), demonstrate higher state area deprivation index (6.4 vs. 5.0, P 0.01), and present with metastatic disease (59.8% vs. 45%, P = 0.04). After adjusting social and oncologic variables, Hispanic ethnicity remained an independent risk factor for worse survival HR 1.56, (95% CI, 1.06–2.28); P = 0.02. Conclusions: Hispanic patients treated within a large, multicenter safety-net hospital system experience worse survival compared to non-Hispanic patients. This suggests ethnic disparities exist within safety-net hospital systems, independent of known clinicopathologic factors. Impact: Improving outcomes for Hispanic patients with gastric cancer requires future efforts aimed at defining and addressing these unidentified barriers to care.