School of Medicine Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2025
Abstract
Objectives: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a developing clinical research region characterized by its distinctive demographic profile that offers an opportunity to investigate diverse health issues. This pilot investigation sought to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics linked to bone metastases and primary malignant bone neoplasms (PMBNs) in patients from the RGV and to compare the frequency of these conditions with the US general population.
Methods: This was a retrospective chart review in which data were gathered from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley UTHealth electronic database from January 1, 2018 to September 4, 2024. Various statistical analyses were performed to assess the demographic and clinical data.
Results: Individuals in the RGV are more likely to develop a PMBN (P < 0.0163) but less likely to have bone metastasis (P < 0.0015) compared with the general US population. Regarding bone metastases and PMBN, although not statistically significant, patients with bone metastasis were 10 years older on average and exhibited a lower body mass index (−1.7 kg/m2) and weight (−17.6 kg) than those with PMBN.
Conclusions: Our initial research indicates age and body weight variations among individuals with bone metastases and PMBN in the RGV, as well as differences in frequency of bone metastases and PMBN in this medically underserved region compared with the general US population. Despite the limited sample size, our results necessitate further exploration in a larger cohort to elucidate any demographic and clinical differences in bone metastases and PMBN subtypes in medically underserved areas.
Recommended Citation
Martin, B. C., Lopez-Alvarenga, J., & Sander, M. D. (2025). Exploring Bone Oncology in a Medically Underserved Area: A Retrospective Cohort of Bone Metastases and Malignant Bone Neoplasia in the Rio Grande Valley. Southern Medical Journal, 118(12), 768-771. https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001911
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Southern Medical Journal
DOI
10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001911
Academic Level
faculty
Mentor/PI Department
Population Health and Biostatistics
Comments
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the Southern Medical Association. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.