Racial Differences In Survival Research Articles

Racial Differences in Breast Cancer in a Rural Population: Comparison of Cytologic Nuclear Grade, Other Prognostic Factors, and Outcomes for Tumors Diagnosed by Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy

: African-American women with breast cancer experience shortened survival compared to their Caucasian counterparts in the United States. Racial differences in survival most likely have a biological component that may be reflected in cytologically and histologically derived tumor features known as prognostic factors. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is an expeditious method of determining these features; however, patients presenting for FNAB may be clinically different from patients diagnosed by other methods. We determined and compared FNAB NG for 47 breast cancers from African-American patients and 62 breast cancers from Caucasian patients. FNAB NG was also compared to other prognostic factors. Prognostic factors and outcomes for patients diagnosed by FNAB were compared to a larger group of patients diagnosed by a variety of methods. The mean follow up time was 2.3 years for African-American FNAB patients and 2.2 years for Caucasians. Breast cancers from African-American patients exhibited more unfavorable prognostic factors than cancers from Caucasians, including higher NGs by FNAB and histology. FNAB nuclear grade correlated with histologic grade, histologic NG, tumor type, tumor size, and stage. There was no correlation with outcome in this small sample size. Caucasians diagnosed by FNAB in this study had more unfavorable prognostic factors than have previously been reported. We confirmed that African-American women with breast cancer tend to have less favorable prognostic factors than their Caucasian counterparts. We further confirmed that FNAB NG is easily determined and correlated with other prognostic factors. African-American patients with breast cancer diagnosed by FNAB no longer showed a survival disadvantage compared to Caucasian patients.

Racial differences in survival from gynecologic cancer

To determine whether survival from gynecologic cancer is different between African-American and white patients at an inner-city hospital with both a large clinic and a private service. We studied 538 patients (89 African American, 449 white) diagnosed with cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancer at a single institution from January 1, 1989 through December 31, 1993. Information was obtained on age, stage, site of disease, histology, and type of health insurance (public or commercial). Insurance coverage was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Overall survival was estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier and compared by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to evaluate the effects of multiple factors on survival. African-American patients were significantly older and were more likely to have cervical cancer and public insurance than white patients. Overall survival was worse for African-American patients than for white patients (P < .05). However, stage for stage, there was no significant difference in survival between the groups. There was also no difference when patients were grouped by insurance status. African Americans had a significantly worse survival for cervical cancer than whites, and African-American patients older than 65 years had a worse survival than whites of similar age. On multivariate analysis, only stage and insurance coverage were significant predictors of survival. African-American patients with gynecologic cancer at our institution have worse overall survival than white patients. The survival difference seems to be due predominantly to differences in socioeconomic status and stage at diagnosis.

Racial differences in survival of female breast cancer in the detroit metropolitan area

Racial differences in survival of female breast cancer in the detroit metropolitan area

Racial differences in survival of female breast cancer in the Detroit metropolitan area.

In the United States, breast cancer survival is worse among African-American women compared with white women. This difference in survival is likely due to several factors, including tumor biology and/or access to care. In this analysis, we evaluated the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables on differences in breast cancer survival among African-American and white women. The study population included 10,502 women (82% white, 18% African-American), diagnosed between 1988 and 1992 and identified through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System, a member of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) Program. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the relative risk of death comparing African-American women with white women after controlling for variables believed to influence survival. The mean age at diagnosis was 61 years and average length of follow-up was 34 months (range, 1-78 months). African-American women were more likely to present with regional or distant disease (45%) than were white women (37%). Although white women had better survival than African-American women during the first 4 years postdiagnosis (P < 0.0001), there were no significant differences in survival by race for women who lived longer than 4 years (P = 0.64). There was a significant interaction between age and race. The unadjusted relative risk of dying for African-American women compared with white women was 2.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-2.93) for women younger than 50 years of age, and was 1.66 (95% CI, 1.46-1.88) for women age 50 years or older. After controlling for age, tumor size, stage, histologic grade, census-derived socioeconomic status, and residency training status, the relative risk was 1.68 (95% CI, 1.27-2.24) for women younger than 50 years of age and 1.33 (95% CI, 1.13-1.56) for women age 50 years and older. Adjustment for marital status, hospital size, and the proportion of Medicaid or Medicare discharges had no further effect on the relative risk. Known factors that predict survival differences between African-American and white women are more prevalent among women younger than age 50.

Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Survival in Iowa

: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of race on breast cancer survival, while controlling for the effects of patient age and stage at diagnosis. Subjects were 35,594 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer in Iowa from 1973 through early 1993. Data on subjects were provided from the State Health Registry of Iowa's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result program, a population-based tumor registry. To determine if race was a significant predictor of survival, independent of patient age and stage at diagnosis, Cox's proportional hazards multiple regression analyses were used to estimate relative risk of death between races. Separate analyses were conducted for outcomes of breast cancer deaths and deaths from all cancers. Results of univariate analyses indicated African-American women had significantly poorer survival from breast cancer. However, after controlling for patient age and stage at diagnosis, race was not a significant independent predictor of survival. African-American women were 1.18 times as likely to die from breast cancer as Caucasian women (95% confidence interval: 0.94, 1.50). Results were similar for all cancer mortality. African-American women had poorer survival from breast cancer than Caucasian women, apparently due to breast cancer diagnosis at significantly younger ages and more advanced stage. These results indicate that public health measures aimed at earlier diagnosis in African-Americans might produce success in reducing racial differences in survival.

Racial Differences in Survival From Breast Cancer

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —I read with great interest the article by Dr Eley and colleagues¹regarding racial differences in survival from breast cancer. This investigation is one of the most complete, well-designed, and well-conducted studies to determine the nature of racial differences in breast cancer survival. The data-collection methods, management of confounding factors, and statistical analyses were exceptional. I have a question for the authors regarding frequency matching of white subjects to black subjects by age. By matching (overmatching) on this important variable, possible comparisons of age as a factor in survival were eliminated. Several studies^2-4have indicated significantly younger age at diagnosis in African-American women compared with white women, along with poorer survival rates, which may indicate basic biological differences between tumors in these two groups. Age may be a major explanatory variable in survival differences between races, in addition to or instead of those found in

Racial Differences in Survival From Breast Cancer-Reply

In Reply. —We thank Dr Joslyn for her comments. There is an important difference between African-American women and white women regarding the incidence of breast cancer; the incidence rate of breast cancer is higher among black women before 45 years of age, and greater for white women after 45 years. 1 Since breast cancer in premenopausal women has been noted to be associated with poorer survival, the increased incidence of breast cancer among African-American women may be a partial explanation for the poorer survival experience among that group. Age of diagnosis was a design variable in our study; we frequency-matched by age group (

Racial differences in survival from breast cancer

Racial differences in survival from breast cancer

Racial Differences in Survival From Breast Cancer

Objective. —To examine the ability of recognized prognostic factors for breast cancer to account for the observed poorer survival in blacks compared with their white counterparts. Design and Participants. —Subjects included 1130 women (612 blacks and 518 whites) aged 20 to 79 years residing in metropolitan Atlanta, Ga, New Orleans, La, or San Francisco/Oakland, Calif, who were diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer. Information on stage, tumor characteristics, treatment, comorbid conditions, and sociodemographic factors was obtained from personal interview, physician and hospital records, and a pathology review of biopsy and surgical specimens. Main Outcome Measure. —Multivariable survival models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (relative risk of mortality) for blacks compared with whites, adjusting for various combinations of potential explanatory factors. Results. —After controlling for geographic site and age, the risk of dying was 2.2 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 to 2.8) greater for blacks than whites. Adjustment for stage reduced the risk from 2.2 to 1.7; further adjustment for sociodemographic variables had no effect. Treatment was not a contributing factor once stage and tumor pathology were in the model. After adjusting for stage, treatment, comorbid illness, and pathologic and sociodemographic variables, blacks continued to demonstrate a slightly increased, but not statistically significant, risk of death (hazard ratio=1.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 1.8). Results were similar for all-cause mortality and breast cancer—specific mortality. Conclusions. —Approximately 75% of the racial difference in survival was explained by the prognostic factors studied. Sociodemographic variables appeared to act largely through racial differences in stage at diagnosis, which may be amenable to change through improved access to and use of screening for black women. ( JAMA . 1994;272:947-954)

Differences in Survival Between Black and White Patients With Diabetic End-Stage Renal Disease

To evaluate whether the longer survival of blacks with diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) relative to whites is due to racial differences in type of diabetes, comorbidity at ESRD onset, and ESRD treatment modality and to examine whether survival differences between blacks and whites occur only in certain population subgroups. The Michigan Kidney Registry was used to ascertain all blacks and whites (n = 594) with diabetic ESRD in southeastern Michigan, with ESRD onset at age < 65 years during 1974-1983. Patients were followed through 1988. Medical records were abstracted for type of diabetes, comorbidity at ESRD onset, and other factors. Median survival among insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients was 27 months in blacks and 17 months in whites, and among non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients was 30 months in blacks and 16 months in whites. After adjustment for confounding factors by Cox proportional hazards analysis, the death rate was 45% lower in blacks than in whites on dialysis (relative death rate [RDR] = 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.44-0.69), but was similar in blacks and whites with a renal transplant (RDR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.64-1.52). Compared with dialysis, transplantation was associated with lower mortality in both races (white, RDR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.36-0.70; blacks, RDR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.60-1.34), although the effect was not statistically significant in blacks. Racial differences in survival did not vary by type of diabetes or any additional factor. Survival after ESRD onset is longer in blacks than in whites treated with dialysis, even after adjusting for comorbidity and other factors that affect survival. Survival does not differ by race among transplant patients.

Treatment plans for black and white women with stage II node-positive breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute Black/White Cancer Survival Study experience.

The National Cancer Institute Black/White Cancer Survival Study began patient accrual in 1985 and was designed to investigate factors that might contribute to the observed racial differences in survival for cancer of the breast, uterine corpus, colon, and bladder. To determine whether there were racial differences in treatment in a clinically homogeneous set of patients, 305 (25%) of the 1222 women in this study with Stage II node-positive (N+) breast cancer were evaluated. Patient characteristics for blacks and whites were similar for age, metropolitan area of residence, tumor size, extent of nodal involvement, and steroid receptors. Differences in histologic findings, tumor grade, and nuclear atypia were observed. Blacks had a higher frequency of comorbid conditions, especially hypertension (P < 0.00001). Fewer blacks underwent breast-conserving surgery (P = 0.004). In a multivariate analysis, race was no longer a significant factor in the selection of primary treatment, but education and metropolitan area of residence remained significant. Blacks and whites received similar postoperative systemic therapy, with combination chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil) and tamoxifen, the most common cytotoxic and endocrine therapies used. The National Cancer Institute consensus statement concerning adjuvant therapy for breast cancer was published in the middle of the 2-year period that study cases were accrued, and treatment plans in this study generally agreed with consensus guidelines. Should survival differences in black and white patients with Stage II N+ disease in this study be found, they are unlikely to be attributable to differences in initial or postoperative treatment.

Racial and ethnic differences in outcome in zidovudine-treated patients with advanced HIV disease. Zidovudine Epidemiology Study Group

OBJECTIVES--To determine if racial-ethnic differences exist in survival, disease progression, and development of myelosuppression in zidovudine-treated patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. DESIGN--Prospective observational study. -Hospital and private clinics in 12 metropolitan centers. -The study included 754 non-Hispanic white, 165 black, and 106 Hispanic patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or advanced AIDS-related complex (ARC) who received up to 2 years of zidovudine therapy. OUTCOME MEASURES--Survival, development of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), other opportunistic infections, and myelosuppression. RESULTS--At initiation of zidovudine therapy, Hispanic and particularly black patients had more advanced HIV disease than white patients, as indicated by lower baseline CD4+ counts, hematocrits, and AIDS-defining diagnoses. Black patients with AIDS also had a worse prognosis compared with white and Hispanic patients with AIDS. The product-limit survival rates at 2 years for white, black, and Hispanic patients with AIDS were 40%, 27%, and 39%, respectively (black vs white, P = .01; Hispanic vs white, P = .32, by the log-rank test). The respective proportions of patients who developed PCP at 2 years were 46%, 66%, and 44% (black vs white, P = .0001; Hispanic vs white, P = .86) and for other opportunistic infections the proportions were 56%, 63%, and 63%, respectively (black vs white, P = .03; Hispanic vs white, P = .09). There were no significant racial-ethnic differences in survival or in the development of opportunistic infections for patients with ARC, and there were no differences in the incidence of myelosuppression or dose reduction or suspension for patients with either ARC or AIDS. After adjusting for more advanced HIV disease (mainly low CD4+ counts and hematocrits), black race was no longer a significant independent predictor of survival. Adjustment for racial differences in the use of PCP prophylaxis accounted for most of the excess risk for the development of PCP in black patients compared with white patients with AIDS. CONCLUSIONS--Racial differences in survival and the development of opportunistic infections are mainly due to the more advanced HIV disease in black patients when zidovudine therapy is started and to their less frequent use of PCP prophylaxis. Innovative approaches are needed to ensure more widespread use of and earlier access to zidovudine therapy and PCP prophylaxis.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Outcome in Zidovudine-Treated Patients With Advanced HIV Disease

OBJECTIVES--To determine if racial-ethnic differences exist in survival, disease progression, and development of myelosuppression in zidovudine-treated patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. DESIGN--Prospective observational study.-Hospital and private clinics in 12 metropolitan centers.-The study included 754 non-Hispanic white, 165 black, and 106 Hispanic patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or advanced AIDS-related complex (ARC) who received up to 2 years of zidovudine therapy. OUTCOME MEASURES--Survival, development of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), other opportunistic infections, and myelosuppression. RESULTS--At initiation of zidovudine therapy, Hispanic and particularly black patients had more advanced HIV disease than white patients, as indicated by lower baseline CD4+ counts, hematocrits, and AIDS-defining diagnoses. Black patients with AIDS also had a worse prognosis compared with white and Hispanic patients with AIDS. The product-limit survival rates at 2 years for white, black, and Hispanic patients with AIDS were 40%, 27%, and 39%, respectively (black vs white, P = .01; Hispanic vs white, P = .32, by the log-rank test). The respective proportions of patients who developed PCP at 2 years were 46%, 66%, and 44% (black vs white, P = .0001; Hispanic vs white, P = .86) and for other opportunistic infections the proportions were 56%, 63%, and 63%, respectively (black vs white, P = .03; Hispanic vs white, P = .09). There were no significant racial-ethnic differences in survival or in the development of opportunistic infections for patients with ARC, and there were no differences in the incidence of myelosuppression or dose reduction or suspension for patients with either ARC or AIDS. After adjusting for more advanced HIV disease (mainly low CD4+ counts and hematocrits), black race was no longer a significant independent predictor of survival. Adjustment for racial differences in the use of PCP prophylaxis accounted for most of the excess risk for the development of PCP in black patients compared with white patients with AIDS. CONCLUSIONS--Racial differences in survival and the development of opportunistic infections are mainly due to the more advanced HIV disease in black patients when zidovudine therapy is started and to their less frequent use of PCP prophylaxis. Innovative approaches are needed to ensure more widespread use of and earlier access to zidovudine therapy and PCP prophylaxis.

Incidence and survival rates of children and young adults with osteogenic sarcoma

Gender-specific and race-specific incidence and survival rates of osteogenic sarcoma over a 14-year period are presented for persons aged 0 to 24 years from eight Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. They were no significant gender or racial differences in age at diagnosis. There was no significant gender difference in overall incidence. Although incidence rates were slightly higher in blacks compared with whites, the difference was not significant after controlling for multiple comparisons. Females (median, 74 months) survived longer than males (median, 29 months), although this difference weakened after controlling for stage. No racial differences in survival were observed. White females survived the longest (median, 94 months), followed by black females (median, 41 months), black males (median, 34 months), and white males (median, 29 months). This striking difference in survival should be explored more fully.

Treatment of newly diagnosed state D2 prostate cancer with leuprolide and flutamide or leuprolide alone, phase III, intergroup study 0036

In order to test the hypothesis of complete androgen blockade for advanced prostate cancer (D 2CaP), an intergroup trial was instituted in 1985 comparing leuprolide (L) alone to the combination of L with flutamide (F). Eligibility requirements included previously untreated histologically confirmed stage D 2CaP, measurable bone or soft tissue metastases, performance status (PS) of 3 or better, acceptable renal and hepatic function, no severe cardiac disease, and no prior or concomitant endocrine therapy. Stratification at entry was on the basis of PS and none or minimal disease (MD) versus severe degree (SD) of bone metastases. Six hundred and seventeen patients were entered into this study between March 1985 and April 1986. At the present time, there is a 3-month difference in the median progression-free survival (13.9 vs 16.9 months; P = 0.039) and a 7.1-month difference in survival (27.9 vs 35.01 months; P = 0.035) favoring L + F. In L + F-treated patients with good PS-MD, the median survival recently has been reached and is 51.9 months vs 39.6 months for L + P patients. The 107 black patients in the study had median survival of 26.4 months vs 33.3 months for whites. Discussions of racial differences in survival as well as other prognostic factors will be presented. The combination of L + F is superior to treatment with L alone. The benefits appear greatest in patients with minimal disease.

Racial differences in survival of women with endometrlal cancer

The hypothesis that white women with endometrial cancer survive longer than black women with this disease was evaluated in a retrospective analysis of a population-based, prospective cohort study. All female residents of metropolitan Atlanta with a first diagnosis of primary endometrial cancer from 1978 through 1982 were eligible for inclusion. The 628 white and 105 black women were followed up through June 1984 to determine survivorship. Race was evaluated as a prognostic factor with univariate, multivariate, and excess death rate analyses. Overall, an estimated 89.2% of whites and 61.6% of blacks survived 3 years from the time of diagnosis. Although black women tended to have more advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and a higher proportion of undifferentiated malignancies, the racial difference in survival persisted after adjustment for these factors. When initial therapy was considered, race remained a significant prognostic determinant among women who did not receive radiation therapy.

Race, socioeconomic status, and other prognostic factors for survival from colo-rectal cancer

Survival data on colo-rectal cancer patients from eleven comprehensive cancer centers were analyzed to examine the effect of race, socioeconomic status and other factors on the probability of survival. Complete data on variables of interest were available for 3617 colon cancer patients (2545 Caucasians and 1072 Blacks) and 1528 rectal cancer patients (1179 Caucasians and 349 Blacks). No significant difference was observed between the races with respect to either the follow-up time or the censoring pattern. For each site, Caucasian patients had a lower risk of death at any time point compared to Black patients, and this difference was maintained within categories of disease stage, sex, age and SES. The race effect was statistically significant in all multivariate models. Moreover, only race was significant in models that considered both race and SES. For either cancer, the racial difference in survival was most prominent for localized disease.

Racial differences in survival of women with breast cancer

The hypothesis that white women with breast cancer survive longer than black women with this disease was evaluated in a retrospective analysis of a population-based prospective follow-up study. All female residents of metropolitan Atlanta with a first diagnosis of primary breast cancer between 1 January 1978 and 31 December 1982 were eligible for inclusion. The study population of 2322 white and 536 black women was followed through the end of calendar year 1983 to determine vital status. Univariate, multivariate and excess death rate analyses were performed to evaluate race as a prognostic factor. Overall, the cumulative percentage of survivors at 3 years was 83% among whites, compared with 71% among blacks. The racial difference in survival was greatest among women with advanced disease, and a higher proportion of black women with advanced disease did not receive surgery. Even when the type of surgery and stage of disease were controlled, race was a significant prognostic factor.

Cancer Patient Survival: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, 1973–79

Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute were used in the evaluation of cancer patient survival experience for almost 10% of the U.S. population. This first report contains actuarial (life table) survival analysis on 368,263 patients with first primary cancer diagnosed in 1973-79 from nine SEER areas: the entire States of Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, Utah, and Hawaii and the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco, and Seattle. Both observed and relative survival rates were shown for whites and blacks, sex, age, primary site, and time period (each yr, 1973-78). The largest racial difference in survival was for cancer of the corpus uteri: 87% 5-year relative survival rate for white females versus only 54% for black females. Survival rates varied considerably by primary site. For most sites, as age increased the relative and observed survival rates decreased. Analysis of relative survival rates by ech year of diagnosis, 1973-78, and for each year following diagnosis suggested increasing rates for cancers of the colon, lung, and prostate gland, whereas there were no definite increases for cancers of the female breast and corpus uteri. A dramatic increase in survival from acute lymphocytic leukemia was found for children under 15 years of age, with the 4-year relative survival rate increasing from 51% among those diagnosed in 1973-75 to 65% for those diagnosed in 1976-78.

Racial and socioeconomic status differences in survival of colorectal cancer patients in Hawaii.

The study reported here examines the survival experience up to 84 months of patients from the five major racial groups in Hawaii diagnosed with colorectal cancer during the years between 1960 and 1974 based on data in the Hawaii Tumor Registry. Previous research in Hawaii showed that racial differences in survival existed even after adjusting for sex, age at diagnosis, stage of the disease at diagnosis, and normal life expectancy. In this paper, socioeconomic status differences between racial groups are hypothesized as a possible explanation for these survival differences. The results show that socioeconomic status did account for some survival differences between racial groups beyond what could be explained by the other variables. After adjusting for all the covariates, the only statistically significant racial differences which remained were higher survival rates for the Japanese patients compared with the rates for the Hawaiian and Filipino patients. Socioeconomic status was not found, however, to have a statistically significant effect on survival independent of race or the other variables examined. Reasons for the modest effects of socioeconomic status in this study are discussed.