Outcomes of breast cancer patients by race and ethnicity

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common diagnosed cancers among women in the United States. Many different factors can influence a patient’s outcome with breast cancer. This study aims to understand the differences in mortality among different racial and ethnic groups, in particular, the differences in mortality in minority racial and ethnic groups (such as Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander). Methods: The racial and ethnic groups included: non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic American Indian/American Native, non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic. Data collected from the National Cancer Database was analyzed, including close to 2 million patients. Amongst all the cohorts, time to diagnosis/treatment, use of chemotherapy/hormone therapy, stage, grade, and lymph node status were analyzed. Results: A higher stage and positive lymph nodes at diagnosis were associated with a higher risk of mortality. In contrast, the use of chemotherapy and hormone therapy were associated with reduced risk of mortality. Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander had the highest 10-year survival. Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander women had a 32% less risk of mortality from any cause than non-Hispanic White women. Data showed that Non-Hispanic Black women a higher risk of mortality from any cause than the non-Hispanic White women. Conclusion: Among all of the patients represented in the dataset, the mortality varied by race and ethnicity. The stage, time to treatment, and use of chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy influenced mortality. The differences in mortality by race and ethnicity suggest opportunities for research to further evaluate socioeconomic factors that could possibly influence cancer prognosis and survival.