Socioeconomic status and MDS survival
Sunnybrook researchers report no association between socioeconomic status and access to therapy or survival in Canadians diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in Canada's publicly funded healthcare system, as published in Leukemia Research.
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of blood and bone marrow disorders. Anemia, infection, and substantial bleeding are common with this disease, with 25 to 30 percent of patients at risk of developing acute myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the blood.
"While there has been tremendous progress in the treatment of MDS in the past decade, newer therapeutics are more expensive and access may be limited for patients with lower socioeconomic status. This is particularly reported to be the case in recent U.S. studies, and that sort of variation is even more marked in Africa and developing nations and in Asia," says Dr. Wells, also an assistant professor in the Department of Biophysics at University of Toronto, and a scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute.
The researchers report that in univariate and multivariate analyses of a range of social, geographic, and clinical variables, socioeconomic status based on median household income quartile was not significantly associated with overall survival.
They also report other factors associated with better survival such as certain MDS subtypes and the use of treatments including ESAs (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents) that stimulate red blood cell production.
Full media release
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS NOT LINKED TO SURVIVAL: Study examines predictive impact of socioeconomic status on survival of patients treated at a cancer centre in Canada.
Toronto, Canada (October 2, 2013) - Sunnybrook researchers report no association between socioeconomic status and access to therapy or survival in Canadians diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in Canada's publicly funded healthcare system, as published in Leukemia Research.
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of blood and bone marrow disorders. Anemia, infection, and substantial bleeding are common with this disease, with 25 to 30 percent of patients at risk of developing acute myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the blood.
"We wanted to examine the potential role of socioeconomic status on outcomes for patients we see in our healthcare system. Canadian findings are encouraging but further study is needed on this global issue," says Dr. Richard Wells, lead investigator, medical oncologist and co-director of the MDS program for the Hematology Cancer Care team at Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre.
"While there has been tremendous progress in the treatment of MDS in the past decade, newer therapeutics are more expensive and access may be limited for patients with lower socioeconomic status. This is particularly reported to be the case in recent U.S. studies, and that sort of variation is even more marked in Africa and developing nations and in Asia," says Dr. Wells, also an assistant professor in the Department of Biophysics at University of Toronto, and a scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute.
The researchers report that in univariate and multivariate analyses of a range of social, geographic, and clinical variables, socioeconomic status based on median household income quartile was not significantly associated with overall survival.
They also report other factors associated with better survival such as certain MDS subtypes and the use of treatments including ESAs (erythropoiesis-stimulating agents) that stimulate red blood cell production.
The study involved 312 patients treated between 2005 and 2012 at Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre. Socioeconomic status was estimated based on median household income values from the 2006 Canadian census. Patients' postal codes were used to determine the census dissemination area, and patients were grouped according to their median household income quartile.
The Canadian MDS Consortium estimates 1,500 to 2,000 new cases of MDS are diagnosed each year in Canada.
This study was generously supported by the estate of J. Douglas Crashley, and the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada.
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For more information, please contact:
Natalie Chung-Sayers, 416.480-4040, natalie.chung-sayers@sunnybrook.ca
