Social vulnerability index associates with chronic lymphocytic leukemia survival rates in the Detroit tri-county area

Abstract The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) identifies communities that may be vulnerable to health issues and need additional support. Studies have explored the incidence and mortality of many common cancers using the SVI but not chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This study aimed to assess the relationship between CLL survival rates and social vulnerability factors in the Detroit Tri-County Area using the SVI. This was a retrospective study among people diagnosed with CLL from 2016 to 2020 as recorded in the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System. Participants’ SVI scores, based on address at diagnosis, were categorized into quartiles. The lowest quartile (Q1) represented the lowest social vulnerability and thus a greater capacity to withstand the effects of a public health crisis. The highest quartile (Q4) represented the highest social vulnerability. Proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the hazard of death for each quartile. The final sample was 1406 people with CLL living in the Detroit Tri-County Area. Within Q4, notable variables were racial and ethnic minority status (65.1% of people), a sub-150% poverty level (43.4%), and living in cost-burdened occupied housing units with an annual income of less than $75,000 USD (39.9%). With respect to survival outcomes, those in Q1 had the highest 5-year survival rate (76.7%). In comparison, those in Q4 were 2.02 times more likely to die from CLL compared to those in Q1. This study’s findings provide a foundation for the implementation of programs and policy changes to address socioeconomic and survival rate disparities among CLL patients.