National differences in prostate cancer survival between Black and white men may be due to significant disparities in four regions, according to a new study of more than 213,000 men in 17 areas of the United States from 2007 through 2014.
Black men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer in 4 of the 17 areas had significantly higher death rates than white men with the same stage of the disease. These areas were Atlanta (a 5.49 greater risk), New Jersey (2.6), Greater Georgia (1.88), and Louisiana (1.8). Findings were similar for more advanced stages of cancer.
“If racial/ethnic differences in cancer outcomes are being driven by a small number of areas with large populations of racial/ethnic minority groups, then these represent important targets for addressing racial inequality,” the researchers wrote.
Note: Greater Georgia is the entire state excluding these Counties: Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Glascock, Greene, Gwinnett, Hancock, Jasper, Jefferson, Morgan, Putnam, Taliaferro, Warren and Washington.
- See “Racial disparity in prostate cancer survival tied to region” on the Medical Xpress website (April 13, 2020)
- See the full text of scientific paper “Geographic Distribution of Racial Differences in Prostate Cancer Mortality” by Sean A. Fletcher et al.
