Prostate cancer treatment outcome in blacks and whites: a summary of the literature.

The disparate mortality rates of prostate cancer among populations have led to the question "Is therapy as effective in blacks versus whites." A review of the cancer literature that has assessed black-white outcomes supports the conclusion that equal treatment yields equal outcomes among equal patients. Although epidemiological studies demonstrate that blacks are disproportionately diagnosed with higher stage and higher grade disease, clinical studies show that equal treatment yields equal outcome regardless of race. Patterns-of-care studies demonstrate that there is not equal treatment in the United States among black and white patients.