title: Analysis of demographic and tumor characteristics of an inner city breast cancer patient population compared with patients treated in National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trials.
abstract: In June of 2008 we initiated a breast clinic designed to serve patients regardless of funding status. We analyzed age, race,tumor size, nodal status, estrogen, progesterone, and her-2-neu status. We compared our results to NSABP B-06 (nodal status), B-15 (estrogen, progesterone, and Her-2-neu receptor status), B-18, and B-27 (age, race, and tumor size) to determine whether our patient population was similar to patients included in these trials. Forty-nine patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were treated during our first year (53 total cancers). Eight patients had noninvasive cancer; 45 had invasive disease. The mean age was 52.2 +/- 12.2 years compared to a mean age of 48.4 +/- 9.8 years in the B-06 trial (P = 0.005). Thirty six patients were African American (74%) compared to 10% and 12% in the NSABP B-18 and B-27 trials (P < 0.00001). A total of 23 of our patients with invasive cancer had involved axillary lymph nodes which was statistically more common than the 35.3% of node positive patients in the B-06 trial (P = 0.03). Tumor size (3.6 +/- 3.3 cm), estrogen (54.4%), and progesterone (52.8%) receptor status were similar to NSABP trials. Only 6 (13.3%) of our patients were considered Her-2-neu positive compared to 29.4% in the B-15 trial which was significantly less prevalent (P = 0.02). Significantly different demographic and tumor characteristics were identified in our inner city breast cancer patient population compared to NSABP patients. These results question the validity of using recommendations from large cooperative group trials in the development of treatment plans for our inner city patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30312, USA.
authors.forename: Alfred J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Colfry
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Humphries
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fuhrman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000208:ethnology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone