The Effect of Race on the Incidence of Retinoblastoma

PURPOSE: To examine the incidence of retinoblastoma for regional variations by race. METHODS: Age-adjusted incidence rates, rate ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were determined in 109 regions from 1993 to 1997 using compiled data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. RESULTS: The rate ratio was 1.12 (range: 0.35 to 4.15) between white populations in the United States and Europe/Australia, 0.98 (range: 0.37 to 2.65) between Hispanic populations in Spain and the United States, and 1.44 (range: 0.29 to 1.79) between Hispanic populations in Uruguay and the United States. The rate ratio between Hispanic and white populations within the United States was 0.94 (range: 0.33 to 2.56). No differences were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Because retinoblastoma is a genetic disease, its incidence is similar among varied populations.