Trends in Location of Death for Individuals With Primary Bone Tumors in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with primary bone cancer, provision of high-quality end-of-life care concordant with patient preferences is critical. This study aimed to evaluate trends in use of dedicated end-of-life care settings and investigate sociodemographic disparities in location of death among individuals with primary bone cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective, population-based review of patients who died of primary bone cancer-related causes was performed using the Underlying Cause of Death public use record from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database for the years 2003 through 2019. A total of 24,557 patients were included.

RESULTS

Over the study period, the proportion of primary bone cancer-related deaths occurring at home and in hospice increased, whereas those occurring in hospital, nursing home, and outpatient medical facility/emergency department settings decreased. Several sociodemographic factors were found to be associated with location of death, including age, marital status, and level of education. Moreover, patients of racial and ethnic minority groups were at significantly lower risk of experiencing death at home or in outpatient medical facility/emergency department settings relative to a hospital compared with White patients.

CONCLUSION

Although rates of in-hospital death from primary bone cancer are decreasing, marked racial and ethnic disparities in use of dedicated end-of-life care settings exist. These gaps must be addressed to ensure all patients with primary bone cancer have equitable access to high-quality end-of-life care regardless of racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic status. [. 2025;48(1):44-50.].