Chemotherapy intensity and toxicity among black and white women with advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to confirm whether black and white women with endometrial cancer are equally tolerant of chemotherapy and identify factors that impact survival.


METHODS
A retrospective review of 169 black women and 982 white women with the International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage III, stage IV, or recurrent endometrial carcinoma was performed. All patients received doxorubicin combined with cisplatin. Chemotherapy parameters that were reviewed included relative dose, relative time, and relative dose intensity. Treatment cycles > or =7 were defined as treatment completion.


RESULTS
Although black patients were more likely to experience grades 3-4 anemia (20% vs 14%) and genitourinary (5% vs 1%) toxicity, and less likely to experience severe gastrointestinal toxicity (10% vs 17%), the overall incidence of grades 3-4 treatment-related chemotoxicity was the same between the 2 groups (82% vs 82%). There were no differences in the number of cycles received, relative dose (0.57 vs 0.58), relative time (0.77 vs 0.78), or relative dose intensity (0.76 vs 0.76) for black and white patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Black patients with advanced stage or recurrent endometrial cancer, treated on 4 Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) protocols, had similar dose intensity and severe chemotherapy-related toxicity compared with white patients, suggesting that previously described racial disparities in survival among patients in GOG trials may have an novel etiology.
Farley
John H
JH
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20832, USA. john.farley@us.army.mil
Tian
Chunqiao
C
Rose
G Scott
GS
Brown
Carol L
CL
Birrer
Michael
M
Risinger
John I
JI
Thigpen
J Tate
JT
Fleming
Gini F
GF
Gallion
Holly H
HH
Maxwell
G Larry
GL
D001741:Black or African American; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012008:Recurrence; D044465:White People
D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin