Dr Arora on the Associations Between Income/Race and MCL Survival Outcomes

"When looking at income, we actually found a dose-response relationship between income and survival. As income increased, the RSR increased as well. This demonstrated a dose-dependent relationship between income and survival for [patients with] MCL."

Ruby Arora, MD, a resident physician of internal medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, discussed findings from a study investigating incidence trends, survival outcomes, and sociodemographic disparities among patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) from 2000 to 2021.

Notably, this research demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in MCL incidence rates during the study period, a reversal from the rising incidence rates of the disease that were historically reported.

Several additional factors evaluated in this study yielded noteworthy findings, Arora began. One key focus was the relationship between income and survival outcomes, she said. A clear dose-response association was observed wherein higher income levels correlated with improved relative survival rates (RSRs), she stated. This demonstrated a dose-dependent effect of income on survival among patients with MCL, she clarified.

Another important variable that the study investigators examined was RSR by race and ethnicity, according to Arora. Consistent with previously reported data, the analysis confirmed that certain patient populations—particularly Hispanic and American Indian individuals—continue to experience significantly lower RSRs compared with other groups, she noted. These findings likely reflect ongoing disparities in access to and delivery of care, which unfortunately remain prevalent and were evident in this cohort as well, she reported.

In contrast, the analysis revealed a more encouraging trend when assessing outcomes for Black and Asian/Pacific Islander patients, she explained. Specifically, RSRs in these populations showed evidence of improvement compared with prior reports, she emphasized. These data suggest that some of the historically observed disparities in care for these groups may be beginning to diminish, representing a positive shift in survival outcomes for these patient populations, Arora concluded.