Sociodemographic differences in the receipt of colorectal cancer surveillance care following treatment with curative intent

BACKGROUND. Despite limited evidence of its effectiveness, most guidelines recommend colorectal cancer survivors undergo posttreatment surveillance ca re. This article describes the posttreatment use of colon examinations, car cinoembryonic antigen (CEA) testing, and metastatic disease testing among a managed care population. METHODS. Two hundred fifty-one patients with colorectal cancer enrolled in a managed care organization at diagnosis (1/1/90-12/31/95) and treated with curative intent Patients were identified via a Cancer Registry maintained by a large group practice. Cumulative incidences of service receipt were es timated using actuarial (Kaplan-Meier) survival analyses. Cox Proportional Hazard Models were used to evaluate the relation of patient sociodemographi c and clinical characteristics to service receipt. Average 8-year medical c are expenditures were calculated. RESULTS. Within 18 months of treatment, 55% of the cohort received a colon examination, 71% received CEA testing, and 59% received metastatic disease testing. Whites were more likely than minorities to receive CEA testing (RR = 1.47, P = 0.04) and tended to be more likely to receive a colon examinat ion (RR = 1.43, P = 0.09). As the median household income of a patient's zi p code of residence increased, so too did the likelihood of colon examinati on and metastatic disease testing receipt (RR = 1.09, P = 0.03 and RR = 1.1 2, P < 0.01, respectively). Average 8-year medical care expenditures among the cohort were $30,247. CONCLUSIONS. Among a population with financial access to care, differences were found in the receipt of colorectal cancer surveillance fare by race an d income. Additional investigations are needed to understand why minorities and those residing in low-income areas are less likely to receive surveill ance care.