Effect of marital status and race on survival of patients with well differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

Abstract

654 Background: Socioeconomic status factors (SES) such as marital status, income, and race can influence and enhance disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes. Marriage has documented positive impacts on overall survival of numerous cancer types. Consequences of divorce have been less explored. The unique indolent, secretory nature of NETs may be differentially affected by SES factors. This study identifies implications of marital status and sex on 5-year survival rates of different racial groups diagnosed with NETs within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000-2020 while controlling broadly for the type of treatment received. Methods: Within the SEER data base patients with reported sex, race, marital status and treatment who were diagnosed with well differentiated NETs were selected excluding carcinomas. Relative and disease specific 5-year survival analyses were calculated with 95% confidence intervals and age standardized. Three groupings were analyzed single, separated/divorced/widowed and domestic-partner/married. Results: For all races and sexes, relative survival for individuals in a union was higher than those who were single, or separated, divorced/widowed [86.9% (CI 86.1% - 87.7%); 79.3% (77% to 81.3%); and 79.2% (78% to 80.3%) respectively]. When individuals of each marital status group were compared by matching sex and race, there were no significant differences in relative survival. But males of any race who left a union had lower chances of survival than corresponding females [72.4% (69.7% to 74.9%) vs 81.6% (80.3% to 82.8%)]. As expected, all groupings who received surgical treatment had a higher relative survival than those who did not. Those who received surgical treatment while in a partnership had a higher relative survival then those who were separated [94.5% (93.6% to 95.3%) vs 88.7% (87.3% to 89.9%)]. All marital groupings who underwent surgery or did not, had comparable relative survival between races; except, black individuals in a partnership had improved outcomes compared to the white population. More specifically, when accounting for race, sex, marital status and treatment received, black men who did not undergo surgery had a higher relative survival compared to white men [69.9% (62.2% to 76.3%) vs 59.4% (56.6% to 62.1%)]. All the same conclusions were statistically significant for disease specific survival. Conclusions: Due to NETs slow growing nature SES factors play a major role in the care of patients living with them. Our findings demonstrate generally, irrespective of race, sex, or surgical treatment, being involved in a union is advantageous, showing a protective effect on patient survival, while parting from a union could be deleterious as it is tied to less favorable outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of considering these factors in treatment and care strategies.