Primary bone cancer incidence in black and white residents of New York State.

Some descriptive epidemiologic characteristics of primary bone cancers were presented for black and white residents of New York State (1975-1980) using data from the population-based New York State Cancer Registry. Average annual race- and age-specific incidence rates were calculated for 1975 to 1980 for three histologic types (i.e., osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma). The significantly lower incidence of Ewing's sarcoma in blacks versus whites was confirmed, whereas lower rates for chondrosarcoma in blacks supported findings from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. A higher rate of osteosarcoma in blacks versus whites in the less than 15-year age group, although not statistically significant, was consistent with findings from another population-based registry in the US. This difference was due to osteosarcoma of the leg, and could be related to racial differences in growth rates during childhood. Comparisons with data from Africa suggest certain similarities in patterns as well as some possible differences, which could provide general clues to etiology (i.e., genetic versus environmental factors).