Does ethnicity constitute a risk factor in the psychological distress of adolescents with cancer?

To determine if ethnicity constitutes a risk factor in the psychological distress of adolescents with cancer, ethnic comparisons (Hispanic versus Anglo) were made on four psychological measures administered to 54 adolescents with cancer. Data from the largely Mexican-American San Antonio sample were then compared to test scores from a largely Anglo Los Angeles sample. A San Antonio subsample of 25 adolescents with cancer who received behavioral intervention for relief of treatment-related distress were retested on these psychological measures at six months following intervention and test score changes were compared to those found in a similar Los Angeles study. No ethnic differences were found on any measure. The Los Angeles findings of normal trait anxiety and self-esteem in adolescents with cancer and the findings that adolescents with cancer perceive little control over their health and the significant impact of their illness were similar to those in San Antonio. Reasons for the even higher impact of illness found in the San Antonio sample are discussed. Adolescents from both sites demonstrated similar reductions in their trait anxiety scores following behavioral intervention. We conclude that ethnicity per se does not appear to have a major influence on the experience of cancer in adolescents. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that membership in a minority group and a clinic's attitudes toward ethnic differences may play important roles in acceptance or rejection of behavioral intervention and thus merit investigation.