Disparities in PET Imaging for Prostate Cancer at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center
Matthew D. Bucknor, Daphne Y. Lichtensztajn, Tracy Kuo Lin, Hala T. Borno, Scarlett Lin Gomez, Thomas A. Hope
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences between patients receiving <sup>18</sup>F-fluciclovine and <sup>68</sup>Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (<sup>68</sup>Ga-PSMA-11) for biochemically recurrent prostate cancer at a tertiary medical center. <b>Methods:</b> All <sup>18</sup>F-fluciclovine and <sup>68</sup>Ga-PSMA-11 PET studies performed at the University of California San Francisco from October 2015 to January 2020 were reviewed. Age, race/ethnicity, primary language, body mass index, insurance type, and home address were obtained through the electronic medical record. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the predictor variables. <b>Results:</b> In total, 1,502 patients received <sup>68</sup>Ga-PSMA-11 and 254 patients received <sup>18</sup>F-fluciclovine. Black patients had increased odds of receiving imaging with <sup>18</sup>F-fluciclovine versus <sup>68</sup>Ga-PSMA-11 compared with non-Hispanic White patients (odds ratio, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.90–7.91). There were no other statistically significant differences. <b>Conclusion:</b> In patients receiving molecular imaging for prostate cancer at a single U.S. tertiary medical center, access to <sup>68</sup>Ga-PSMA-11 for Black patients was limited, compared with non-Hispanic White patients, by a factor of nearly 4.