NEW RESEARCH: IUCB Faculty Investigator, Lauren Nephew, MD, MA, MSc, recently published findings on how disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are shaped by intersecting social determinants of health. Analyzing data from almost 5,000 adults diagnosed with HCC in Indiana, Dr. Nephew and team looked at factors such as sex, race, insurance, marital status, and occupation to see how they related to certain outcomes like early-stage diagnosis and two-year mortality. They found that certain social risk phenotypes and intersecting social determinants of health were strongly associated with HCC outcomes.
IMPACT: HCC is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The study found massive discrepancies between the highest and lowest risk classes—the lowest risk class, which consisted of the most favorable characteristics, was found to hover around 55% on both early-stage diagnosis and two-year mortality rate, whereas the highest risk class, reflecting significantly marginalized groups, found themselves at 40% for early-stage diagnosis and 84% for two-year mortality. These findings should help to inform future risk-based intervention strategies and save lives. Read the full study here.