An Exploratory Retrospective Analysis of Racial Disparities in Fall-Related Injuries Among Black and White Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Chemotherapy

Asmaa Namoos (), Dina Ramadan, Rashema Meekins, Vanessa Sheppard and Nicholas Thomson
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Asmaa Namoos: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Dina Ramadan: C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Rashema Meekins: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Vanessa Sheppard: Social and Behavioral Sciences-School of Public Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
Nicholas Thomson: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Purpose: This exploratory retrospective analysis examined racial disparities in fall-related injuries among Black and White breast cancer survivors who received chemotherapy, focusing on the risks associated with specific chemotherapy regimens. Methods: Using real-world data from the TriNetX research platform, we analyzed a cohort of 3223 Stage I–III breast cancer survivors with complete data on race, chemotherapy exposure, and fall-related injuries. The final sample included only Black and White patients treated with chemotherapy between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023. Fall events within six months post-chemotherapy were analyzed. Logistic regression models evaluated associations between chemotherapy type and fall risk by race. Results: Black breast cancer survivors experienced a significantly higher rate of fall-related injuries (14.7%) compared to White survivors (10.0%) ( p < 0.001). The risk was especially elevated among Black patients receiving Cyclophosphamide, Docetaxel, and Carboplatin. Conclusion: This study highlights racial differences in chemotherapy-associated fall risk. While the findings are observational and limited by data availability, they underscore the need for more inclusive survivorship care and further investigation using detailed clinical and contextual variables. Real-world platforms like TriNetX can help identify early signals of disparities that merit prospective study.

Keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy; racial disparities; survivorship; TriNetX (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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