Incidence of soft-tissue cancers in blacks and whites in New York State

Incidence rates for several histologic types of soft-tissue cancers were compared between black and white residents of New York State during 1976-81, using data from the population-based New York State Cancer Registry. Incidence rates for leiomyosarcoma, neurofibrosarcoma and malignant neurolemmoma were higher for blacks than for whites in almost all age groups. Black-white differences in malignant mesenchymoma, while not statistically significant, were similar to those from other population-based studies. There was no evidence for black-white differences in certain other histologic types (e.g., blood-vessel cancers, lymphangiosarcoma). Black-white differences in leiomyosarcoma included higher rates for the uterus in black than in white females, and higher rates for the stomach in blacks of both sexes. Possible explanations for these differences in soft-tissue cancer incidence were discussed, along with comparisons with limited data on black populations in Africa.