Hispanic, Indigenous Americans Undercaptured in National Cancer Database

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer have been undercaptured in the National Cancer Database (NCDB), but their representation is improving, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in JAMA Network Open.

Yasoda Satpathy, from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine in La Jolla, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study to examine representation of Hispanic and AI/AN individuals in the NCDB compared to the U.S. Cancer Statistics (USCS) database. The absolute percentage change (APC) in capture rates was examined across the study period.

The cohort included 5,175,007 individuals (0.50, 3.10, 12.01, 6.58, and 77.81 percent AI/AN, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and White, respectively) diagnosed with breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer. The researchers found that in 2004 to 2006 and 2017 to 2019, capture rates were lowest for individuals who were Hispanic (40.83 and 54.75 percent, respectively) or AI/AN (20.72 and 41.41 percent, respectively). Across all four cancers, APCs were positive for both racial categories. For AI/AN individuals, the APCs were greater than for White individuals for prostate (14.68 versus 11.57 percent) and breast (21.61 versus 17.90 percent) cancer, while for lung cancer, APCs were lower (24.54 versus 33.03 percent).

"These findings indicate that Hispanic and AI/AN representation has increased over time, but further efforts are needed," the authors write.

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