Breast cancer treatment delay and the Hispanic paradox: A SEER database analysis

Background Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in US women. Knowledge gaps exist regarding healthcare inequities in Hispanic BC patients. This study assessed BC characteristics and treatment patterns among Hispanics. Methods Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women (NHW) with invasive BC from the SEER Database (2018-2020) were included. We evaluated if Hispanic ethnicity was associated with time from diagnosis to treatment (TT) and its impact on cancer-specific survival. Treatment delay was defined as > 3 months post-diagnosis. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression models were used. Results Among 135,690 patients, 16.5 % were Hispanic. Median TT for Hispanics was 1.5 divided by 1.34 months vs. 1.22 divided by 1.07 months for NHW (p < 0.001). Adjusted analysis showed Hispanics had 2.47 times higher odds of delayed TT than NHW (95 % CI: 2.29-2.66). Delayed TT worsened survival in both groups; however, within the delayed TT, Hispanics had better survival (HR: 0.52, 95 % Cl: 0.27-0.98, p = 0.045). Conclusions Disparities in healthcare for Hispanic patients exist; targeted interventions and public health initiatives are needed to ensure equitable care.