abstract: Have racial disparities in ovarian cancer increased over time? An analysis of SEER data

Have racial disparities in ovarian cancer increased over time? An analysis of SEER data:

Objective 
Race has been postulated to be a prognostic factor in women with ovarian cancer. The reasons for racial disparities are multifactorial. Recent literature suggests that racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival emerged in the 1980s, when modern treatments such as aggressive surgical debulking and platinum-based chemotherapy first gained widespread use. We suspect that as improvements in treatment have evolved, the effects of access to treatment have amplified racial disparities in survival from ovarian cancer. Methods SEER 9 data were analyzed, including African American and white patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer from 1973 to 2007, with 2008 as the cutoff for follow-up. Using the Kaplan–Meier method, we evaluated racial differences in survival, to determine whether this difference has increased over time.

Results
There were 44,562 white and 3190 African American women available for analysis. Overall African Americans had 1.10 times the crude hazard (95% CI 1.06–1.15) of all-cause mortality compared to whites, with a widening trend over time (p<0.01). Adjusted for SEER registry, age, tumor stage, marital status and time of diagnosis, the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality comparing African Americans to whites was 1.31 (95% CI 1.26–1.37). When the receipt of surgery was added to the model, the HR for all-cause mortality remained higher for African American women at 1.27 (95% CI 1.21–1.34).

Conclusions 
African Americans diagnosed with ovarian cancer have worse survival than whites, and this disparity has increased over time. Measured differences in treatment, such as receipt of surgery, account for part of the disparity.

Jan 2012: Race, insurance influence treatment of advanced ovarian cancer

Table 1 (includes history of breast and/or ovarian cancers but not other cancers (eg. colorectal/Lynch Syndrome)

Racial differences in stage at diagnosis and survival from epithelial ovarian cancer: A fundamental cause of disease approach

Social Science & Medicine

abstract:

Associations between race, socioeconomic status (SES) and health outcomes have been well established. One of the ways in which race and SES affect health is by influencing one’s access to resources, which confers ability to avoid or mitigate adverse outcomes. The fundamental cause of disease approach argues that when a new screening tool is introduced, individuals with greater resources tend to have better access to the innovation, thus benefiting from early detection and leading to better survival.  

Conversely, when there is no established screening tool, racial and SES differences in early detection may be less pronounced.

Most ovarian cancer is diagnosed at advanced stages, because of the lack of an effective screening tool and few early symptoms. However, once detected, racial differences may still be observed in mortality and survival outcomes. We examined the racial differences in diagnosis and survival among ovarian cancer cases diagnosed during 1994–1998, in Cook County, Illinois (N = 351). There were no racial differences in the stage at diagnosis: 51.7% of white and 52.9% of black women were diagnosed at later stages (III and IV). Only age was associated with the stage at diagnosis. Tumor characteristics also did not differ between white and black women. Compared to white women, black women were less likely to be married, less educated, more frequently used genital powder, had tubal ligation, and resided in higher poverty census tracts. As of December 31, 2005, 44.3% of white and 54.5% of black women had died of ovarian cancer. Controlling for known confounding variables, the hazard ratio for ovarian cancer death between black and white women was 2.2. The findings show that fundamental cause perspective provides a potential framework to explore subtleties in racial disparities, with which broader social causes may be accounted for in explaining post diagnosis racial differences.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations across race and ethnicity: distribution and clinical implications

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize evidence on the prevalence and spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 BRCA1/2 mutations across racial and ethnic groups and discuss implications for clinical practice.
RECENT FINDINGS: The prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations is comparable among breast cancer patients of African, Asian, white, and Hispanic descent: approximately 1-4% per gene. Among ovarian cancer patients in North America, BRCA1/2 mutations are present in 13-15%. Between racial/ethnic groups, there are important differences in the spectrum of BRCA1 compared with BRCA2 mutations, in BRCA1/2 variants of uncertain significance, and in the accuracy of clinical models that predict BRCA1/2 mutation carriage.
SUMMARY: Given the significant prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations across race/ethnicity, there is a need to expand and customize genetic counseling, genetic testing, and follow-up care for members of all racial/ethnic groups.

Breast Cancer Screening: How to Guide Black, White, and Asian Patients: Case Scenarios

• Case Scenarios 

• Background
• US Disparities in Breast Cancer: Statistics
• What Explains the Disparity in Breast Cancer Rates and Risks Between Black and White Women in the United States?
• Strategies to Minimize Disparities and Improve Care
• Summary
• Case Response