Journal: International journal of cancer
This study analyzed 62,412 stage I-III colon cancer patients from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (2015-2023) to assess the impact of socioeconomic position (SEP) on detection methods, treatment, and survival.
Key findings include:
- Higher SEP patients were more frequently diagnosed via screening.
- They were more likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III.
- They experienced fewer adverse hospital events compared to lower SEP patients.
- Five-year relative survival rates improved with increasing SEP:
- 86.0% for lower SEP
- 87.5% for intermediate SEP
- 88.7% for higher SEP
- A modest survival advantage for higher SEP persisted after adjusting for clinical factors.
The findings highlight SEP-related disparities in colon cancer detection, treatment, and outcomes.