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Turcotte, Lucie M.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4106-6172

Mayo Clinic

University of Minnesota

Citations 2

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Treatment Cost and Utilization in Pediatric and Young Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Remme, L , Watson, Dave , Reimche, Paige, Hoover, Alex, Tanner, Lynn, Gilchrist, Laura, Messinger, Yoav, Finch, Mike, Turcotte, Lucie M. , Hoover, Alex , Tanner, Lynn R. , Gilchrist, Laura S.

Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology | June 29, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1097/mph.0000000000003241 Get It

Racial and ethnic survival disparities exist in pediatric and young adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with differential treatment toxicity and setting of care as possible drivers. Whether treatment cost and utilization disparities exist, or how they may contribute to differences in ALL survival, is unknown. Patients with ALL diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 at ages 1 to 24 years were identified using ICD-9/10 codes in the administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Sex, race and ethnicity, age, year, and subtype of ALL diagnosis were collected. Reimbursed treatment cost and utilization (number of inpatient and outpatient days) were computed over the initial 8 months of treatment. Regression models assessed associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. Survival analyses assessed associations between race and ethnicity and overall survival. Among 374 individuals with ALL, treatment costs were 57% lower for Black patients than for White patients (estimate 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19-0.96; P =0.04). Utilization was similar across groups, though Black patients had 24% fewer outpatient visits (estimate 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58-0.99; P =0.04). No significant differences in survival were detected, but observations are consistent with previous reports. Despite a small sample size, the statistically significantly lower cost and utilization among Black relative to White ALL patients are concerning and warrant further research.
Treatment modifications and mortality among female patients with subsequent breast cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS).
Stene, Emily, Monick, Sarah, Sheade, Jori , Wolfe, Heather , Lu, Zhanni , Moskowitz, Chaya S. , Henderson, Tara O. , Nanda, Rita , Oeffinger, Kevin C. , Neglia, Joseph Philip, Im, Cindy , Turcotte, Lucie M. , Hasan, Hasibul , Rader, Ryan K. , Spector, Logan G. , McDonald, Aaron J. , Arnold, Michael A , Armstrong, Gregory T. , Yasui, Yutaka , Blaes, Anne

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 3, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 10026-10026

10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.10026 Get It

10026 Background: Childhood cancer survivors are at high risk for developing subsequent breast cancer with higher mortality than females in the general population with primary breast cancer. Whether therapeutic tradeoffs in treating primary versus subsequent breast cancer alter survival is unknown. Methods: Breast cancer treatment data were abstracted from medical records for female survivors from the CCSS and a multi-institutional sample of females with primary breast cancer matched one-to-one by demographics, diagnosis age/year, and breast cancer characteristics. Survivors’ excess mortality risk was evaluated as hazard ratios (HRs), adjusting for receipt of historically-appropriate guideline-concordant treatment established for primary breast cancer. Results: Subsequent breast cancers were diagnosed between 1981-2016 among 431 survivors, with a median diagnosis age of 40 years (IQR: 35-44). Most subsequent breast cancers were invasive (77%), with hormone receptor profiles similar to the general population (78% ER-positive; 26% HER2-positive). Guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment did not differ between survivors and controls (N = 688; 94% versus 93%), but treatment selection differed, reflecting survivors’ complex clinical history and guidelines’ multiple treatment options. Anthracyclines were used in 47% of survivors (controls 66%), mastectomy in 81% of survivors (controls 60%), and radiotherapy in 18% of survivors (controls 61%). In the subgroup treated with surgery and chemotherapy (survivors 31%, controls 26%), survivors did not have greater likelihood of dose reductions or omissions, treatment delays, or hospitalization for fever and neutropenia, but they were more likely to experience hematological toxicities (21% vs. 9%, p = 0.033) and other organ system-specific toxicities (36% vs. 11%, p < 0.001). Over one-third (38%) of survivors died during follow-up (median follow-up 9 years, IQR 6-14) after breast cancer. Strikingly higher all-cause mortality was observed among survivors than controls (HR = 3.5, 95% CI 2.2-5.6), especially after in situ disease (HR = 9.9, 95% CI 2.2-44.2). Among survivors with invasive disease, breast cancer accounted for most deaths (51%), followed by other subsequent malignancies (15%) and cardiovascular diseases (15%). Other health conditions accounted for 67% of deaths following in situ disease. Conclusions: Childhood cancer survivors with subsequent breast cancer generally receive guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment. While the treatments survivors receive differ from females with primary breast cancer, they do not experience higher rates of on-therapy treatment modifications. Despite this, they face excess mortality, primarily driven by other health conditions. Managing comorbidities is critical to enhancing long-term survival for this high-risk population.