For a study, the researchers sought to determine how income mobility affected racial disparities in colorectal cancer. Differences in colorectal cancer treatment and outcomes between Black and White patients have been well established. Although socioeconomic status, insurance, and other patient-level characteristics have been significant, nothing has been done to demonstrate the discriminatory elements that contribute to the outcomes. Between 2005 and 2015, data for Black and White patients with colorectal cancer were acquired from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End-Results database. As a measure of intergenerational poverty and social mobility, county-level measurements of Black (BIM) and White income mobility (WIM) were derived from the Opportunity Atlas. The relative risk of advanced stage at diagnosis (Stage IV), surgery for localized disease (Stage I/II), and cancer-specific death were assessed using regression models. In either Black or White individuals, there was no significant connection between BIM or WIM and advanced stage at diagnosis. A $10,000 increase in BIM was linked to a 9% reduction in the risk of death for both Black (hazard ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.86,0.95) and White (0.91, 95% CI 0.90,0.93) patients. In contrast, the same increase in WIM was linked to no significant difference in risks among Black patients (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% CI 0.97,1.02). At high levels of BIM, no racial differences in death risks were expected. Increased Black income mobility enhances both Black and White patients’ survival rates. Interventions aiming to improve economic and social mobility could reduce mortality in Black and White patients, reducing differences in outcomes.
