Objective: To investigate access to high volume centers (HVCs) for non-metastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and assesses implications of disparities on treatment outcomes. We hypothesized that socially disadvantaged patients would have limited access to HVCs, contributing to observed outcome disparities.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2020 of patients with non-metastatic MIBC. We categorized treatment facilities into high-volume centers (HVCs), intermediate-volume centers (IVCs), and low-volume centers (LVCs) based on annual case volumes. We analyzed demographic, socioeconomic, and insurance-related factors influencing access to HVCs through multivariable logistic regression. Treatment modalities, perioperative outcomes, and overall survival were compared across facility volume cohorts.
Results: The majority of patients (57.2%) were treated at HVCs, with significant demographic disparities observed. Black patients (OR 0.68, p<0.001) and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to receive care at HVCs. Patients at HVCs experienced higher rates of radical cystectomy (OR 1.67, p<0.001) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR 1.76 p<0.001) with better perioperative outcomes, including reduced readmissions (OR 0.78, p<0.001), less prolonged hospital stays (OR 0.76, p<0.001), and improved overall survival (5-year survival rates: HVCs 37.7% vs. LVCs 30.1%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Our findings reveal substantial disparities in access to HVCs for MIBC treatment, particularly affecting Black and economically disadvantaged patients. HVCs have significantly improved outcomes and survival, highlighting the need for systemic interventions to improve access to high quality cancer care.
Data availability statement: The data used in this study are available from the National Cancer Database (https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer/ncdb).
Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.
