Differences in testis cancer survival by race and ethnicity: a population-based study, 1973-1999 (United States)

We examined the relationship between race/ethnicity and testis cancer survival in a population-based setting.

We analyzed 16,086 cases of primary testis cancer diagnosed during 1973-1999 and reported to 12 cancer registries participating in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. We compared testis cancer-specific survival between patients from different racial/ethnic groups by use of the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated from Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for stage, histology, and period of diagnosis.

Relative to non-Hispanic whites, a greater proportion of African American, Native American, Hawaiian, and Hispanic patients were diagnosed at late stages. There were 886 deaths among 16,086 testis cancer patients and overall 5-year survival was 95%. After adjustment for stage, histology, and period of diagnosis, the risk of dying from testis cancer was increased among African Americans (HR = 2.3; CI: 1.6-3.2), Native Americans (HR = 2.1; CI: 1.1-3.9), Filipinos (HR = 3.6; CI: 1.3-9.5), Hawaiians (HR = 2.4; CI: 1.4-4.1), and Hispanics (HR = 1.4; CI: 1.1-1.8), compared to non-Hispanic whites.

These findings are consistent with previous reports of race/ethnic disparities in stage at diagnosis and survival in testis cancer patients as well as other cancer patients. Further research is needed to understand the reasons underlying these disparities.