Andrew J Jacobs1, Erika B Lindholm2, Carolyn Fein Levy3, Jonathan D Fish4, Richard D Glick5. 1. Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. 2. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York. 3. Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York. 4. Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York. 5. Division of Pediatric Surgery, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York. Electronic address: rglick@northwell.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childhood sarcomas are rare and require complex interdisciplinary care including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The goal of this study was to determine if racial or ethnic disparities exist for pediatric sarcoma patients in the United States. METHODS: The United States' National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify patients aged 0-21 diagnosed with primary sarcomas from 1973 to 2012. Patients were considered by race and ethnicity. Survival curves were computed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 11,502 patients were included in this study. When stratified by race, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to present with advanced stage disease than white patients. White patients were more likely to receive radiation therapy than black and Hispanic patients (P = 0.01). There was no significant difference between patients who underwent surgery (P = 0.21). Overall survival was better for white patients than black or Hispanic ones. Despite the overall 5-year survival improvement during the study period (56.2%-70.3%), survival disparities between race and ethnicity have grown. CONCLUSIONS: Racial and ethnic disparities do exist with respect to stage, treatment, and survival of these rare tumors. Black and Hispanic patients are presenting at more advanced stage and have overall worse survival. This survival disparity has widened over the past 4 decades.
BACKGROUND: Childhood sarcomas are rare and require complex interdisciplinary care including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The goal of this study was to determine if racial or ethnic disparities exist for pediatric sarcomapatients in the United States. METHODS: The United States' National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify patients aged 0-21 diagnosed with primary sarcomas from 1973 to 2012. Patients were considered by race and ethnicity. Survival curves were computed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 11,502 patients were included in this study. When stratified by race, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to present with advanced stage disease than white patients. White patients were more likely to receive radiation therapy than black and Hispanic patients (P = 0.01). There was no significant difference between patients who underwent surgery (P = 0.21). Overall survival was better for white patients than black or Hispanic ones. Despite the overall 5-year survival improvement during the study period (56.2%-70.3%), survival disparities between race and ethnicity have grown. CONCLUSIONS: Racial and ethnic disparities do exist with respect to stage, treatment, and survival of these rare tumors. Black and Hispanic patients are presenting at more advanced stage and have overall worse survival. This survival disparity has widened over the past 4 decades.
Authors: Neela L Penumarthy; Robert E Goldsby; Stephen C Shiboski; Rosanna Wustrack; Patricia Murphy; Lena E Winestone Journal: Cancer Med Date: 2019-12-15 Impact factor: 4.452