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Disparities in Bladder Cancer Outcomes Based on Key Sociodemographic Characteristics

  • Urothelial Cancer (S Daneshmand, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Urology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

A review of the impact of several key patient characteristics on oncologic outcomes in bladder cancer (BC) summarized and analyzed in a narrative fashion.

Recent Findings

The bulk of the published literature suggests that females and blacks have poorer cancer-specific outcomes. Both groups tend to present with worse disease, which may be driven by differences in access to timely and quality care. Attempts to assess the association between smoking status and history and BC outcomes have been hindered by the quality and heterogeneity of the data, although several studies have linked smoking with higher rates of recurrence and poorer survival. Being married, particularly in men, may improve survival after radical cystectomy (RC). Limited data suggests that socioeconomic and education levels may be associated with poorer survival; however, the data is limited.

Summary

A growing body of investigation suggests that there are significant differences in oncologic outcomes in BC patients based on race, gender, smoking status, socioeconomic status, and others. Further focus and investigation is needed to validate these findings, investigate the root cause of these differences, and offer solutions to mitigate them.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USC Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 7416, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA

    Wesley Yip, Giovanni Cacciamani & Sumeet K. Bhanvadia

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  1. Wesley Yip
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Correspondence to Sumeet K. Bhanvadia.

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Wesley Yip, Giovanni Cacciamani, and Sumeet K Bhanvadia each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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Yip, W., Cacciamani, G. & Bhanvadia, S.K. Disparities in Bladder Cancer Outcomes Based on Key Sociodemographic Characteristics. Curr Urol Rep 21, 24 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-019-0950-0

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