Socioeconomic and demographic inequalities in stage at diagnosis and survival among colorectal cancer patients

Socioeconomic inequalities of cancer diagnosis and survival are important public health issues. Population-based data were collected to investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES), colorectal cancer (CRC) stage at diagnosis and survival in Switzerland. SES was estimated based on education. A social gradient was observed for later stage CRC, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.11 and 1.28 for middle and low SES compared with high SES. Furthermore, single people had elevated odds of being diagnosed at a later stage, compared to those who were married. Survival was lower in patients with CRC with low SES in the unadjusted model, but this disappeared when adjusting for stage at diagnosis and further socio-demographic characteristics. Public health strategies in Switzerland need to address these socioeconomic differences. Read the full text