Increased Wait Times Observed for Black/Hispanic Patients With Cervical Cancer

Despite all groups completing chemoradiation within 56 days, delays contributed to a nonsignificant difference in length between Black vs White patients.

Patients identifying as Black/African American and those identifying as Hispanic/Latine waited nearly twice as long as White patients with cervical cancers to receive an MRI, according to a retrospective cohort study presented at the 2025 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer (SGO).

Results from the trial revealed that among patients who received chemoradiation (n = 73), patients with cervical cancer identifying as Other (n = 17;), Black/African Americans (n = 16), and Hispanic/Latinae (n = 21) waited the longest for an MRI, at 40.0, 37.5, and 37.0 days, respectively (P <.0018, .002, .0021). Patients who were Asian (n = 6) and White (n = 17) waited 25.5 (P = .45) and 19.0 days, respectively. Of note, at private hospitals in particular, Black/African American patients experienced persistent extended wait times for MRI.

“Patients identifying as Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinae waited almost twice as long as patients who were White to receive MRI,” Sophie Jabban, medical student at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said during the presentation. “Delays contributed to differences in overall length of [chemoradiation] for Black/African American vs White patients, though not statistically significant. Once treatment was initiated, all groups completed chemoradiation in under 56 days, consistent with standard of care.”

Additional data showed that the median number of days from diagnosis to the completion of chemoradiation was longer for persons of color (n = 110); 114 days for Black/African Americans (n = 24), 105.5 days for those identifying as Asian (n = 9), 104.5 days for those identifying as Other (n = 20), 105.5 days for those identifying as Asian (n = 9), 102.0 days for those identifying as Hispanic/Latine (n = 27), and 94.0 days for those identifying as White (n = 33).

In respective groups, the time from diagnosis to the start of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was 65, 54, 58, 53, and 43 days, respectively. The duration of EBRT was 36.5, 38, 36.5, 37, and 36 days, respectively. Furthermore, from EBRT end to vaginal brachytherapy (VBT) was 12.5, 13.5, 10, 12, and 15 days, in respective groups.

The dual-institution retrospective cohort study assessed patients with cervical cancer treated from 2010 to 2024 with chemoradiation who additionally received an MRI for chemoradiation planning. Data on patient demographics, pathology, and treatment course was extracted from medical records.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the differences in time to initiation and completion of chemoradiation based on self-identified race and ethnicity, given previously documented disparities in cervical cancer treatment and outcomes by race and ethnicity.

Among 110 patients assessed in the study, 43% were treated in a public hospital and 57% were treated in a private hospital. Most patients had Medicaid (51%), while 25%, 19%, and 5% had private insurance, Medicare, and other insurance, respectively.

A total of 30% of patients enrolled were White, 25% were Hispanic/Latine, 22% were Black/African American, 18% identified as other, and 8% were Asian. Furthermore, 22% of patients were younger than 45 years, 48% were between 45 and 65 years, and 30% of patients were older than 65 years.

Reference

Jabban S, Mecklai K, Voigt P, et al. Race and ethnicity-based disparities in chemoradiation timing among patients with cervical cancer. Presented at the 2025 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer (SGO); Seattle, WA, March 14-17, 2025.