Sociodemographic Risk Factors in Therapy Delays and Associated Increased Mortality among Colorectal Cancer Patients in the US: Insights from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program

We investigated the impact of racial/ethnic disparities in therapy initiation on colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. Adults aged 18–84 years with CRC were identified. Cox models for 60-month all-cause and cancer-specific mortality were adjusted for demographics, stage, tumor site, income, and rural–urban residence. Therapy initiation was slower for Hispanics (HR 0.85) and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients (HR 0.80) compared with non-Hispanic Whites (p < 0.001). Each additional month of delay was associated with a 3