U.S. cancer patients experience differences in survival rates in accordance with their race or ethnic group, a study published in JAMA Network Open shows.
Researchers examined stage of cancer at diagnosis, use of therapy, overall survival and cancer-specific survival in 950,377 Asian, black, white and Hispanic patients in the U.S. The patients were diagnosed with one of the nine leading types of cancer from January 2004 to December 2010. Researchers collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, and observed patients for more than five years.
Of the 950,377 patients included in the study:
● 681,251 were white
● 116,015 were black
● 87,393 were Hispanic
● 65,718 were Asian
White, black, and Hispanic patients were more likely to have poorer overall survival rates and cancer-specific survival rates compared to Asian patients.Black patients had the worst overall survival rates and cancer-specific survival in all nine types of cancerss compared to Asian patients.
The study also found that compared to Asian patients, black patients were more likely to have metastatic cancer, that is, cancer that has spread beyond its primary origin site, at diagnosis.
Understanding these differences "may lead to different management strategies based on race and ethnicity to improve outcomes," study authors wrote.