The national cancer data base report on cancer in hispanics. Relationships between ethnicity, poverty, and the diagnosis of some cancers

Abstract

Background. Previous Commission on Cancer studies have examined time trends in stage of disease, treatment patterns, and survival for special populations. Reported herein are the most current National Cancer Data Base data for Hispanics. Methods. Two Calls for Data have yielded a total of 23,650 cancer reports for Hispanics from hospitals across the country. Results. There were differences in the relative frequency with which different cancer sites were reported among different Hispanic sub–populations. For seven of eight types of cancers studied, Hispanics had a less favorable stage of disease at first diagnosis than non–Hispanic whites. Conclusions. Poverty may be an important factor affecting the outcome of different cancers. Ethnicity may have a different and additional impact on patients with cancer.