WellPoint's Health Outcomes Research Subsidiary HealthCore Presents Data on Contributing Factors and Steps that Could Be Taken to Improve Treatment of Women with Breast Cancer and Reduce Disparities INDIANAPOLIS, June 1
INDIANAPOLIS, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HealthCore today presented
a study [Abstract No: 6593] comparing treatment patterns and adherence to
established treatment guidelines for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients at
the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in
Chicago. While previous research has shown a relationship between the
African-American race and increased breast cancer mortality in the general
population, HealthCore sought to understand why similarly increased rates
exist even among African-American women with health insurance.
The study, funded by Amgen, analyzed administrative claims data and
patient medical charts for more than 3,000 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Georgia (BCBSGA) members who were diagnosed with breast cancer between January
2000 and August 2005. HealthCore chose to evaluate disparities in care among
the insured population to help health plans and physicians identify
opportunities and strategies to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer.
"Our data indicates that while significant disparities in care still exist
between African-American and Caucasian women, steps can be taken to reduce
these differences among the fully insured population," said Louise Short, M.D,
MSc, lead investigator for the study and Director of HealthCore's Integrated
Research Network.
HealthCore researchers found the factors predicting worse outcomes for
African-American vs. Caucasian women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in a
fully insured population were consistent with those factors identified by the
current medical literature for the general population. The contributing
factors HealthCore identified included: diagnosis at a younger age (49.4 vs.
52.4 years; p<0.01) and later stage (p=0.008): a lower prevalence of hormone
positive disease (56 percent vs. 75 percent; p<0.01): lower rates of hormone
therapy for certain types of patients; and higher prevalence of hypertension
(46.5 percent vs. 21.6 percent; p<0.01). In a commercially-insured
population, these findings highlight the importance of developing culturally
sensitive and targeted interventions to increase earlier detection of breast
cancer in African-Americans, increase the percentage of patients that receive
hormonal therapy when it is indicated, and include management of co-morbid
conditions.
"BCBSGA and other WellPoint companies are developing approaches to assist
physicians in treatment documentation while working to raise awareness of
earlier detection of breast cancer and treatment options for the disease among
African-American women in Georgia," said Sandra White, M.D., medical director
for BCBSGA.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aside
from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer
in women. Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic
women and the second most common cause of cancer death in Caucasian,
African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native
women.
"In an effort to improve overall quality of cancer care, it's critical to
examine disparities in treatment facing different populations," said Otis
Brawley, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society (ACS) and
a co-author on the study. "This study is among the first to examine the care
received by a fully-insured population, and our data shows that while health
insurance is an important predictor of the quality of care an individual
receives, it's not the only factor. African-American women with insurance
often do not receive the same level of care as their Caucasian counterparts,
and we must work to improve care and outcomes among this population."
HealthCore, a subsidiary of WellPoint, is a health outcomes and clinical
research organization that has served the needs of health plans, government
agencies, physician practices and pharmaceutical manufacturers since 1996.
HealthCore focuses on providing evidence of the real-world safety and
effectiveness of therapeutics; offering insight to best utilize this evidence;
and communicating these findings to health care decision-makers. The
company's work is increasingly used to support evidence-based medicine,
process improvement and patient-reported outcomes.
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) is the largest publicly traded commercial
health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States.
WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield
Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California;
the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City
area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New
York City metropolitan counties and as Blue Cross, Blue Shield or Blue Cross
Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the
Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through
UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at
www.wellpoint.com .
SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.
