Differences in stage at presentation of breast and gynecologic cancers among whites, blacks, and Hispanics.
BACKGROUND
One of the possible assumptions for the higher mortality from cancer of blacks versus whites is that blacks tend to be diagnosed relatively more often with later stage disease. This study examined the stages at diagnosis for female breast cancer and other gynecologic cancers among blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic whites.


METHODS
Data for Dade County were analyzed in this study, which was based on the tumor registry data from the Florida Cancer Data System from 1981-1989. The stages at diagnosis were classified as in situ, local, regional, and distant according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology coding rules.


RESULTS
The percentage of early stage diagnoses (in situ and local stage) was significantly lower among blacks and Hispanic whites than among non-Hispanic whites, but only for breast and cervical cancer. There was a significant increase in the percentage of early stage diagnoses of breast cancer among all three groups during 1981-1989, whereas this increase was found only in Hispanic whites for cervical cancer. The percentage of in situ cervical cancers was much lower in women older than age 45, especially among women older than age 65, in all three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that screening programs need to be targeted differently for specific age and ethnic groups.
Chen
F
F
Epidemiology Unit, Dade County Public Health Unit, Department of Public Health and Rehabilitative Services, State of Florida, Miami 33125.
Trapido
E J
EJ
Davis
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012042:Registries; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D044465:White People