Hospitalization and Mortality Outcomes Among Childhood Cancer Survivors by Race, Ethnicity, and Time Since Diagnosis

Abstract

IMPORTANCECancer outcomes are relatively poor in adults who belong to minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Survival and long-term outcomes by race and ethnicity in individuals with childhood cancers are less studied. OBJECTIVE To evaluate survival and hospitalization among American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black, and Hispanic children compared with non-Hispanic White children with cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study evaluated all individuals born in Washington State who were younger than 20 years (hereafter referred to as children) and had been diagnosed with cancer during 1987 to 2012, with follow-up ranging from 1 to 27 years. The data subset was built in 2019, and statistical analyses were completed in January 2022. EXPOSURES Race and ethnicity. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mortality and hospitalization events for all other racial and ethnic groups relative to non-Hispanic White children estimated by Cox proportional hazards regressions for the first 5 years after diagnosis and among cancer survivors 5 or more years after diagnosis.