Access and acceptance of breast cancer treatment among early-stage female breast cancer patients in New Mexico

Keywords: access, cancer, treatment, health, medical, mastectomy, breast conserving surgery, BCS, female
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

A contemporary look into the reception of mastectomy versus breast conserving surgery in the 21st century will enlighten the present conditions that exist for breast cancer treatment within New Mexico. We begin by examining the likelihood of receiving mastectomy versus breast conserving surgery (BCS) in early-stage female breast cancer patients. Through the utilization of individual female cancer treatment data, that is obtained from the New Mexico Tumor Registry, for the years 2000 to 2019, and in combination with variables at the census tract level, we will come to understand the true inequity of accessibility to cancer treatment within New Mexico and the variables which impact acceptance of cancer treatment among early-stage female breast cancer patients. Variables in our analysis at the census tract level include: racial and ethnic minority percentages, the CDC’s social vulnerability index, Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes, socioeconomic status (SES), education status, per capita income, age, insurance, and the reception of mastectomy versus BCS. RUCA is the primary variable which will characterize access to cancer treatment as it relates to early-stage female breast cancer. Logistic regression will be employed to analyze the confounding influence of these independent variables on the reception of mastectomy versus breast conserving surgery for early-stage breast cancer patients. When variables are adjusted, and after controlling for multicollinearity, results have found that rurality, race, socioeconomic status, education, and age are contributors to the reception of mastectomy versus BCS among early-stage female breast cancer patients.