Successful doctoral defense of Joachim Gotinck
We are pleased to announce the successful defense of Joachim Gotinck’s doctoral dissertation, entitled “The Anatomy of Inequality: Disentangling Socioeconomic Disparities in Cancer Incidence, Survival and Mortality.”
Joachim’s research examines socioeconomic inequalities in cancer from three complementary perspectives: cancer incidence, survival after diagnosis, and mortality. Throughout his research, educational attainment is used as the main indicator of socioeconomic position.
His findings show that socioeconomic inequalities in cancer are complex and highly context-dependent. They differ not only across cancer types, but also by sex and age. His research highlights that inequalities in cancer mortality can arise through different pathways: some are mainly related to differences in the likelihood of developing cancer, while others are more strongly linked to differences in survival after diagnosis.
A particularly clear example is lung cancer, for which inequalities in mortality are almost entirely driven by differences in cancer incidence. For most cancers, lower-educated people experience higher incidence and mortality. However, breast cancer and melanoma show a different pattern, with higher incidence among more highly educated groups. In these cases, differences in survival after diagnosis contribute importantly to the mortality gap.
Joachim’s work therefore shows why it is not enough to look at cancer mortality alone. Understanding whether inequalities arise before diagnosis, through differences in cancer occurrence, or after diagnosis, through differences in survival, provides a more detailed picture of how socioeconomic disparities emerge. His research suggests that efforts to reduce cancer inequalities should take these different pathways into account, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
Congratulations, Joachim, on this important achievement and on successfully defending your doctorate!
