The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors and Racial Disparities on Complications in Breast Conservation Surgery: A Single-Institution Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background

Breast conservation surgery (BCS) is considered to be a low-morbidity procedure; however, postoperative complications may adversely affect the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Social determinants of health have previously been shown to impact postoperative outcomes in various other medical conditions. However, there is a paucity of literature that comprehensively examines the social determinants that impact BCS complications or how race influences specific surgical outcomes. This study thus seeks to address this gap by analyzing the impact of these factors within our diverse patient population in the Bronx.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted that examined patients who underwent BCS between January 2016 and December 2022 at a single institution. Patient information, such as comorbidities, Distressed Communities Index (DCI), BMI, race, insurance status, age, pathology, surgery details, adjuvant therapy, and complications, was collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to determine the relationship between these variables and postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 627 patients were included in the study. Of these patients, 512 (81.5%) were either Hispanic or African American, 46 patients (7.3%) were White, and 69 (11%) belonged to other races. There was a delay in 37 (6.2%) patients receiving adjuvant therapy. Our study found that higher DCI quintile and higher BMI were associated with a statistically significant increase in overall complication rate (p = 0.044, p = 0.05, respectively). Race had an association with persistent pain (p = 0.003). Former smokers (OR = 3.44, 95% CI [1.419, 8.34], p = 0.0062), hypertensive patients (OR = 3.846, 95% CI [1.13, 13.12], p = 0.0314), and patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy (OR = 2.756, 95% CI [1.117, 6.801], p = 0.0278) had higher odds of developing any complication. Patients who developed any complication were more likely to have a delay in adjuvant therapy than patients who did not have complications (OR = 6.452, CI [2.696, 15.44], p < 0.001).

Conclusion

BCS is generally a safe procedure with minimal complications; however, patient-specific factors are associated with increased complication rates which can lead to delays in adjuvant therapy. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to adequately compare outcomes among minority racial groups to a larger reference population.