2024
Racial differences in treatment and survival among older patients with multiple myeloma
Wang R, Neparidze N, Ma X, Colditz G, Chang S, Wang S. Racial differences in treatment and survival among older patients with multiple myeloma. Cancer Medicine 2024, 13: e6915. PMID: 38234237, PMCID: PMC10905251, DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6915.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNon-Hispanic whitesNon-Hispanic white patientsMultiple myelomaRacial differencesHazard ratioReceipt of treatmentOlder patientsIncreasing racial disparitiesIntroduction of novel agentsCox proportional hazards modelsMultivariate Cox proportional hazards modelLower mortalityStudy investigated racial differencesAssess survival outcomesProportional hazards modelNon-HispanicProportion of patientsMedicare beneficiariesRacial disparitiesTreatment utilizationHazards modelSurvival outcomesNovel agentsMM survivalMM treatment
2021
Associations Between Health Literacy and End-of-Life Care Intensity Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Luo Q, Shi K, Hung P, Wang SY. Associations Between Health Literacy and End-of-Life Care Intensity Among Medicare Beneficiaries. American Journal Of Hospice And Palliative Medicine® 2021, 38: 626-633. PMID: 33472379, DOI: 10.1177/1049909120988506.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAggressive EOL careLow health literacyEOL careHealth literacyMedicare beneficiariesHospital deathCare intensityHigher oddsEOL care intensityLife care intensityPatient-provider communicationProportion of decedentsMonths of lifeDays of lifeHospice enrollmentHL scoreMultivariable analysisHospice useCare measuresRetrospective analysisLife careMedicare feeService decedentsDecedentsCareEnd-of-life patterns of symptom management and cancer-directed care among Medicare beneficiaries with lung cancer: a claims-based analysis
Davidoff AJ, Canavan ME, Prsic E, Saphire M, Wang SY, Presley CJ. End-of-life patterns of symptom management and cancer-directed care among Medicare beneficiaries with lung cancer: a claims-based analysis. Supportive Care In Cancer 2021, 29: 3921-3932. PMID: 33389087, DOI: 10.1007/s00520-020-05964-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCancer-directed therapySymptom management servicesLung cancerMedicare beneficiariesCare contentYounger ageEarlier hospice enrollmentLife care patternsLung cancer decedentsPercentage of patientsClaims-based analysisMethodsThis retrospective studyMost Medicare beneficiariesNonhospice settingsCancer decedentsUsual careHospice enrollmentSymptom managementRetrospective studyMedicare databaseSkilled nursingHigh comorbidityCare intensityMedicare claimsMultinomial logistic regression
2020
Severe functional limitation due to pain & emotional distress and subsequent receipt of prescription medications among older adults with cancer
Presley CJ, Canavan M, Wang SY, Feder SL, Kapo J, Saphire ML, Sheinfeld E, Kent EE, Davidoff AJ. Severe functional limitation due to pain & emotional distress and subsequent receipt of prescription medications among older adults with cancer. Journal Of Geriatric Oncology 2020, 11: 960-968. PMID: 32169548, PMCID: PMC7346676, DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2020.02.006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSevere functional limitationsCo-occurring symptomsFunctional limitationsOlder adultsPrescription medicationsEmotional distressOlder adult Medicare beneficiariesAdult Medicare beneficiariesPrescription claims dataStage IV diseaseSupportive care needsMultivariable logistic regressionPrescription medication useMedicare Part D enrollmentPart D enrollmentCertain cancer typesMedication useLung cancerClaims dataPainMedicare beneficiariesCare needsFunctional independenceParticipant characteristicsCancer
2019
Income disparities in needle biopsy patients prior to breast cancer surgery across physician peer groups
Killelea BK, Herrin J, Soulos PR, Pollack CE, Forman HP, Yu J, Xu X, Tannenbaum S, Wang SY, Gross CP. Income disparities in needle biopsy patients prior to breast cancer surgery across physician peer groups. Breast Cancer 2019, 27: 381-388. PMID: 31792804, PMCID: PMC7512133, DOI: 10.1007/s12282-019-01028-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPhysician peer groupsLow-income patientsNeedle biopsyOdds ratioHigh-income patientsBreast cancer surgeryMethodsThe SurveillanceCancer surgeryIncome patientsMedicare databaseBiopsy patientsMedicare beneficiariesPatientsBiopsyLow incomeGroupDisparitiesReceiptEnd resultHigher incomeSurgeryPeer groupEpidemiologyFurther workGroup-level effectsRacial Differences in Health Care Transitions and Hospice Use at the End of Life
Wang SY, Hsu SH, Aldridge MD, Cherlin E, Bradley E. Racial Differences in Health Care Transitions and Hospice Use at the End of Life. Journal Of Palliative Medicine 2019, 22: 619-627. PMID: 30615546, PMCID: PMC6533794, DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0436.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHealth care transitionCare transitionsEnd of lifeHospice enrollmentHospice useLife careEthnic differencesAfrican AmericansRetrospective cohort studyMonths of lifeRace/ethnic groupsPatterns of endHospice disenrollmentCohort studyNonwhite patientsWhite patientsHospice enrolleesRacial/Ethnic DifferencesMedicare beneficiariesHospice usersDisenrollment ratesMean numberRacial differencesCareAsian Americans
2016
Transitions Between Healthcare Settings of Hospice Enrollees at the End of Life
Wang SY, Aldridge MD, Gross CP, Canavan M, Cherlin E, Johnson-Hurzeler R, Bradley E. Transitions Between Healthcare Settings of Hospice Enrollees at the End of Life. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 2016, 64: 314-322. PMID: 26889841, PMCID: PMC4762182, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13939.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMonths of lifeSkilled nursing facilitiesHospice enrollmentHealthcare settingsNursing facilitiesHospice usersHospital-based palliative careRetrospective cohort studyHome health agenciesEnd of lifeCohort studyPalliative careCare transitionsHospice enrolleesHealthcare transitionHigher oddsClaims dataHospice decedentsMedicare beneficiariesHospice programsHospiceHealth agenciesCareNotable proportionDecedentsTrends in end-of-life cancer care in the Medicare program
Wang SY, Hall J, Pollack CE, Adelson K, Bradley EH, Long JB, Gross CP. Trends in end-of-life cancer care in the Medicare program. Journal Of Geriatric Oncology 2016, 7: 116-125. PMID: 26783015, PMCID: PMC5577563, DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2015.11.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLife cancer careDay of deathAggressive endLife careCancer careHospital deathHospice enrollmentEmergency departmentIntensive care unit admissionEnd Results-Medicare dataAggressiveness of endLate hospice enrollmentLife chemotherapy useCare unit admissionHospital referral regionsResult of cancerProportion of beneficiariesChemotherapy useICU admissionUnit admissionED visitsPatient demographicsTumor characteristicsReferral regionsMedicare beneficiaries
2015
The Role of Patient Factors, Cancer Characteristics, and Treatment Patterns in the Cost of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries with Breast Cancer
Xu X, Herrin J, Soulos PR, Saraf A, Roberts KB, Killelea BK, Wang SY, Long JB, Wang R, Ma X, Gross CP. The Role of Patient Factors, Cancer Characteristics, and Treatment Patterns in the Cost of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries with Breast Cancer. Health Services Research 2015, 51: 167-186. PMID: 26119176, PMCID: PMC4722219, DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12328.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBreast cancer careHospital referral regionsCancer careMedicare expendituresBreast cancerRadiation therapyTreatment factorsMean Medicare expendituresEnd Results-MedicareSpecific treatment modalitiesContribution of patientCost of careHighest spending quintilePatient factorsTreatment patternsTumor characteristicsCancer characteristicsTreatment modalitiesReferral regionsMedicare beneficiariesQuintilePatientsCancerCareTherapy
2014
Cardiovascular events, early discontinuation of trastuzumab, and their impact on survival
Wang SY, Long JB, Hurria A, Owusu C, Steingart RM, Gross CP, Chen J. Cardiovascular events, early discontinuation of trastuzumab, and their impact on survival. Breast Cancer Research And Treatment 2014, 146: 411-419. PMID: 24951268, DOI: 10.1007/s10549-014-3029-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCardiovascular eventsEarly discontinuationTrastuzumab treatmentCause mortalityTrastuzumab therapyTrastuzumab discontinuationBreast cancerCox proportional hazards modelContinuous trastuzumab treatmentAdverse cardiovascular eventsPopulation-based cohortFemale Medicare beneficiariesHigher mortality riskProportional hazards modelNon-significant increaseCardiovascular complicationsOlder patientsOverall survivalHeart failureAtrial fibrillationDiscontinuationMortality riskOlder womenMedicare beneficiariesHazards model