Racial differences in patients with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the differences between white and black women with regard to the presentation and behavior of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.


METHODS
Records of 273 (68%) white patients and 117 (32%) black patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma were reviewed in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Survival data was calculated according to the direct method where losses in follow-up were regarded as tumor deaths.


RESULTS
Most patients (82%) were treated by pre-operative radium followed by total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with post-operative external irradiation where indicated. Pre-operatively, fewer black women had reached FIGO stage I, while a larger number had advanced to stages II-IV (P = 0.0024). In addition, the tumor differentiation was more often poor in the black group (P < 0.0001). Ten-year follow-up was achieved in 84% of the white patients and 51% of the black patients and the 10-year survival figures were 67% for white patients and 28% for blacks (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Endometrial adenocarcinoma is a more aggressive disease in black women than it is in whites.
Gynecologic Oncology Group, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
H S
HS
Cronjé
S
S
Fourie
M J
MJ
Doman
J B
JB
Helms
J T
JT
Nel
L
L
Goedhals
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D044465:White People