Breast cancer disparities among Hispanics in the US: Insights into healthcare access.

e13734 Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the US. Hispanics account for 19. 1% of the US population, ranking as the second-largest racial/ethnic group, following the Non-Hispanics White (NHW) population. We aimed to assess the current BC characteristics and treatment patterns among Hispanics in the US. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Registry (SEER). Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer stages 1-3 between 2018 and 2020 were included. Bivariable analyses were conducted using two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum and Chi2 square to evaluate delay in treatment, defined as a lapse of 3+ months between diagnosis and the initiation of treatment. Treatment encompassed neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiation, or upfront surgery. Results: The study included 135, 690 participants, among whom 16. 5% (22, 346) were Hispanic. Hispanic women were notably younger than their NHW counterparts (58 vs 65 years old). Most Hispanic and NHW patients resided in metropolitan areas and counties with an MHI exceeding 75, 000. While both groups were predominantly diagnosed with Stage 1 IDC, it is noteworthy that a higher proportion of Hispanics tended to be diagnosed at more advanced stages (25. 3% vs 17. 9%). Additionally, Hispanic and NHW women were mostly diagnosed with HR+/HER2- BC (70. 1% vs. 77. 7%). Moreover, Hispanics had a higher percentage of HER2+ (15. 2% vs. 11. 5%) and TNBC (11. 4% vs. 8. 5%). Hispanics and NHW patients received mostly upfront surgery (74. 3% vs. 83. 1%), although a larger percentage of Hispanics were treated with NACT (20. 8% vs 12. 4%). Hispanic patients had a median time to treatment of 1. 5 ± 1. 34 months, while NHW patients had a shorter time of 1. 22 ± 1. 07 months, p-value <0. 001. After adjusting for all variables, Hispanic women had 2. 47 times the odds of experiencing a treatment delay compared to NHW women. Conclusions: This study reveals healthcare access disparities for Hispanic BC patients, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Personalized strategies in clinical practice and health policy are crucial for ensuring equitable outcomes for all. Table: see text