Comparison of Treatment Decisions in African American vs. Caucasian Men with Prostate Cancer from a Single Institution

Graduate #5
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Cancer Research

Myles A. Davis - Tuskegee University
Co-Author(s): Roberta Troy, Tuskegee University Health Disparities Institute for Research and Education, Tuskegee, AL Timothy Turner and Clayton Yates, Tuskegee University Center for Cancer Research, Tuskegee, AL

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By the end of 2015 it is predicted that there will be about 2 million new cancer cases in the United States. There are about 1600 cancer related deaths per day meaning close to a million people die per year. Every year these numbers rise worldwide due to many factors ranging from diet, smoking, exercise, and genetics. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Research suggests that different races are affected more or less than others depending on the type of cancer. There is a significantly higher incidence rate in African Americans and older men. Additionally, African American men are three times more likely to die from prostate cancer. Although there have been advancements in terms of understanding, diagnosing, and ultimately treating prostate cancer there is still more to be understood about this disparity. Disparities in mortality could be attributed to treatment modalities selected by the patient, physician or both. In this analysis, we seek to determine if treatment undertaken differs between African American and Caucasian men. By using clinical patient data from St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut we were able to examine 714 prostate cancer patients in order to understand the disparities as they relate to the treatment these individuals ultimately decided to follow. From the database, we compared, tumor stage, insurance status, age, treatment regimen, and attitude about treatment between African American and Caucasian men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Preliminary data show that no African American men received some of the more aggressive treatments such as prostatectomy and combination therapy. The reasons for these differences in treatment are unclear, but in some cases it was noted that insurance status may have been a factor. More detailed analysis on other clinical databases may provide more insight as to the reasons for this treatment disparity and if these differences play a role in the outcome of the patient.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This work was funded by the MSM/TU/UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Partnership [NCI Grant # U54 CA118623].

Faculty Advisor: Roberta Troy, Rmtroy@mytu.tuskegee.edu