Survival differences by race in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are much higher among Chinese than they are among most other racial/ethnic groups around the world. With respect to NPC, results from survival studies are mixed, as some studies have and others have not found differences by race/ethnicity. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data, the authors used a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model to evaluate differences in risk of mortality among NPC patients across Chinese, non-Hispanic White, Black, and Filipino populations in the United States. From 1973 to 2002, 3,952 patients with microscopically confirmed NPC were identified across SEER 9 registries. After controlling for SEER registry, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, gender, World Health Organization type of grade histology, stage, and use of radiotherapy, the authors found that Chinese NPC patients had lower risks of overall mortality compared with non-Hispanic White patients (hazard ratio = 0.73, 95 percent confidence interval: 0.64, 0.84). However, no differences in risk of NPC cause-specific mortality were observed by race/ethnicity. Despite having higher incidence rates of NPC compared with other groups, Chinese NPC patients in the United States have better overall survival and the same risks of NPC-related mortality compared with other racial/ethnic groups.