The impact of preexisting comorbidities on receipt of cancer therapy among women with Stage I–III breast cancer in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort

PURPOSE: Pre‐existing comorbidities play an important role in choice of cancer treatment. We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between pre‐existing comorbidities and receipt of local and systemic therapy in a cohort of Black women with Stage I–III breast cancer. METHODS: The study population for analysis included 1169 women with Stage I–III disease enrolled in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort. Information on comorbidities, socio‐demographic, and clinical variables were obtained from self‐reported questionnaires and the cancer registry. Comorbidities were analyzed individually, and comorbidity burden was categorized as low (0–1), moderate (2–3) or high (≥4). We used logistic regression analysis to evaluate factors associated with receipt of local treatment (surgery ± radiation; N = 1156), hormonal (N = 848), and chemotherapy (N = 680). Adjusted models included variables selected a priori that were significant predictors in univariate analysis. RESULTS: Receipt of treatment was categorized into local (82.6%), hormonal (73.7%), and/or chemotherapy (79.9%). Prior history of arthritis and depression were both associated with a lower likelihood to receive local treatment, [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66, 0.47–0.93, and 0.53, 0.36–0.78], respectively. Obesity was associated with higher likelihood of receiving hormonal therapy (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.26), and heart failure a lower likelihood (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.90). Older age (P(trend) <0.01) and increasing co‐morbidity burden (P(trend) = 0.02) were associated with lower likelihood of receiving chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: History of prior co‐morbidities has a potentially detrimental influence on receipt of recommended cancer‐directed treatment among women with Stage I–III breast cancer.