Racial disparity in prostate cancer survival tied to region

(HealthDay)—National, race-based differences in prostate cancer survival are due to regional variation, even for low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study published online March 31 in JAMA Network Open.

Sean A. Fletcher, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from 17 geographic registries within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2007 through 2014). Geographic variation in prostate cancer-specific mortality differences was compared between 35,006 black and 178,204 white men.

The researchers found that compared with white men, black men had a higher risk for mortality overall (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.39). There were four registries in which black men had worse prostate cancer-specific survival in Gleason grade group 1 (adjusted hazard ratios: Atlanta, 5.49; Greater Georgia, 1.88; Louisiana, 1.80; New Jersey, 2.60). Findings were similar for Gleason grade groups 2 through 5 (adjusted hazard ratios: Atlanta, 1.88; Greater Georgia, 1.29; Louisiana, 1.28; New Jersey, 1.52).

"Targeted interventions in these areas may help to mitigate prostate cancer care disparities at the national level," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.