Study Links Housing Assistance to Improved Prostate Cancer Survival
A new study led by researchers at UCLA has found that older men with prostate cancer who receive federal housing assistance may have a survival advantage compared to those who do not.
The study compared 4,450 men receiving federal housing assistance at diagnosis with 13,300 men not receiving such assistance. All men were aged 66 to 95 and were diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2007 and 2019.
Men with housing assistance had a 12% lower risk of dying at any given time within two years of diagnosis compared to those without assistance.
Background and Context
Prostate cancer is a significant public health concern, causing over 36,000 deaths annually in the United States and ranking as the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men. Survival rates are known to vary by socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity.
This research builds on previous work by the same team, which found an association between housing assistance and earlier-stage diagnosis for several common cancers. Housing insecurity is defined as insufficient access to safe, stable, affordable housing.
Study Methodology
The researchers linked several data sources for their analysis:
- Federal housing assistance data
- Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry data
- Medicare claims
The analysis was conducted on two groups:
- For workup and treatment analysis: 1,800 men with housing assistance and 5,500 without.
- For survival analysis: 4,450 men with housing assistance and 13,300 without.
Key Findings and Researcher Insights
An important note from the study is that the researchers found no significant association between housing assistance and increased participation in prostate cancer workup or treatment.
Dr. Katherine Chen, the study's lead author, provided context for the findings. She stated that while receipt of appropriate prostate cancer care may help alleviate survival disparities, it is often limited by socioeconomic barriers.
"Housing assistance may help low-income patients obtain access to other health care, engage in healthy behaviors, and reduce stress, which could support health and longevity," said Chen.
She added that the findings suggest policies extending housing assistance could promote improved survival among low-income older adults with prostate cancer.
Study Limitations
The authors noted several limitations to their research:
- Data linkage may have missed some people with Housing and Urban Development assistance.
- The analysis may have obscured differences in how state and local authorities administer federal housing assistance programs.
- Researchers could not distinguish between patient preferences for curative treatment versus active surveillance.
- Most income-eligible people do not receive housing assistance due to limited funding.
Publication and Funding
The research will be published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors include researchers from Johns Hopkins University, the American Cancer Society, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Emory University, and Yale University.