Priya Marathe, MD
Priya Marathe, MD
Year Awarded: 2025
Amount: $60,000
Study Length: 2 years
The survival of patients with ECD has improved significantly with the increasing use of targeted therapies. Certain challenges in treating ECD still remain; these challenges include delay in diagnosis and lack of access to expert ECD care, particularly for patients from underrepresented racial or socioeconomic groups. There is a lack of understanding of disparities in ECD diagnosis and treatment with respect to race and socioeconomic status. We propose a two-stage study to address these critical questions. The study will first use a multi-institutional cohort of patients with ECD to measure differences in diagnosis and treatment for patients based on their race or socioeconomic status. Next, we will expand to ECD a current program (MSK-BRIDGE) that makes it easier for patients from underrepresented groups to access expert care and clinical trials. The results from this study will identify patients with ECD who are most at risk for are having a delayed diagnosis or other disparities in their care and test the MSK-BRIDGE initiative to see if it is effective in increasing access to care for these patients. Ultimately, this study will allow clinicians and the ECD community to provide better, more equitable care for patients with the disease. The results will also lead to the development of tailored interventions for improving care for all patients with ECD.