Targeting hardship: poverty as a modifiable risk factor in childhood leukemia and lymphoma treatment

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic survival disparities have been well-demonstrated across population-based and clinical trial datasets in pediatric hematologic malignancies. To date, these analyses have relied on trial-collected data such as race, ethnicity, insurance, and zip code. These exposures serve as proxies for factors such as structural racism, genetic ancestry, and adverse social determinants of health (SDOH). Systematic measurement of SDOH and social needs—and interventions targeting these needs—are feasible in pediatric oncology. We use these data to present a roadmap for the next decade of health equity research to identify actionable mechanisms and develop a portfolio of interventions to advance equitable outcomes across pediatric hematologic malignancies.