Residence in a Latinx enclave and end-induction minimal residual disease positivity among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Racial and ethnic inequities in survival persist for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In the US, there are strong associations between SES, race/ethnicity, and place of residence. This is evidenced by ethnic enclaves: neighborhoods with high concentrations of ethnic residents, immigrants, and language isolation. The Latinx enclave index (LEI) can be used to investigate how residence in a Latinx enclave is associated with health outcomes. We studied the association between LEI score and minimal residual disease (MRD) in 142 pediatric ALL patients treated at Texas Children's Hospital. LEI score was associated with end-induction MRD positivity (OR per unit increase 1.63, CI 1.12-2.46). There was also a significant trend toward increased odds of MRD positivity among children living in areas with the highest enclave index scores. MRD positivity at end of induction is associated with higher incidence of relapse and lower overall survival among children with ALL; future studies are needed to elucidate the exact causes of these findings and to improve ALL outcomes among children residing within Latinx enclaves. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08880018.2022.2047850