WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4, 2023 -- For patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS), Black race is independently associated with worse overall survival, according to a study published in the September issue of SKIN.

Michelle S. Swedek, from the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, and colleagues examined the effects of socioeconomic and demographic factors on survival among patients with KS diagnosed from 2004 to 2017. Overall survival was analyzed among all patients and in a propensity score-matched cohort, where White patients were matched to Black patients for demographic factors and comorbidities in a 1:1 ratio.

The researchers found that advanced age, Black race, HIV-positive status, and Charlson-Deyo score ≥1 were independently associated with reduced overall survival among the 4,034 KS patients. There was a survival benefit seen for Spanish/Hispanic ethnicity, private insurance, residence in areas of high educational attainment, and treatment at academic centers. Median survival was 99 and 140 months for Black and White patients, respectively. Black patients had poorer overall survival compared with White patients after propensity score matching (119 versus 136 months).

"We highlight significant racial disparities with poor survival outcomes in Black patients with KS, which persisted even after controlling for socioeconomic features and other surrogate markers of health care access," the authors write. "We call for greater efforts in promoting access to health care and providing equitable medical care to all KS patients."