Prostate cancer treatment in black and white men: the need to consider both stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic status.

Using data from the population-based Connecticut Tumor Registry, this study examined stage-specific treatment for prostate cancers diagnosed from 1988 through 1992 by age at diagnosis, poverty rate of census tract of residence, and race (black versus white). For local or regional stage prostate cancers, the prevalence of radical prostatectomy was less frequent among blacks than whites within three age groups, but race was not a statistically significant independent predictor when age and poverty rate were included in logistic regression models. For distant stage cancers, endocrine surgery was more prevalent in blacks than whites but race was not a statistically significant independent predictor in logistic regression models. Thus, both stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic status should be considered in studies of racial differences in prostate cancer treatment.