Variations in Guideline-Concordant Breast Cancer Adjuvant Therapy in Rural Georgia

Objective: To examine factors associated with guideline-concordant adjuvant therapy among breast cancer patients in a rural region of the United States and to present an advancement in quality-of-care assessment in the context of multiple treatments.

Data Sources: Chart abstraction on initial therapy received by 868 women diagnosed with primary, invasive, early-stage breast cancer in a largely rural region of southwest Georgia.

Study Design: Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined predictors of adjuvant chemo-, radiation, and hormonal therapy regimens defined as guideline-concordant according to the 2000 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement.

Principal Findings: Overall, 35.2 percent of women received guideline-concordant care for all three adjuvant therapies. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with receiving guideline-concordant care for all three adjuvant therapies jointly, and for chemotherapy. Compared with private insurance, having Medicaid was associated with guideline-concordant chemotherapy. Unmarried women were more likely to be nonconcordant for chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Increased age predicted nonconcordance for adjuvant therapies jointly, for chemotherapy, and for hormonal therapy.

Conclusions: A number of factors were independently associated with receiving guideline-concordant adjuvant therapy. Identifying and addressing factors that lead to nonconcordance may reduce disparities in treatment and survival.