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American Cancer Society researchers stress increased attention and funding to identify reasons for this regional disparity in mortality and for rising incidence rates for all major genitourinary cancers including testicular and advanced-stage prostate cancers
For this study, researchers analyzed incidence rates for bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular cancers in the U.S. from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), mortality rates from the U.S. Cancer Statistics database from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). They examined cross-sectional and temporal trends in incidence and death rates stratified by sex, race/ethnicity, and county. Age-adjusted incidence and death rates were calculated by the NCI’s SEER Stat software and temporal trends were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression Program.
Study results showed incidence rates increased for kidney and testicular cancers and for advanced-stage prostate cancer in almost all racial/ethnic populations. Researchers also reported incidence and death rates for bladder and kidney cancers continued to be two to four times higher in men than in women.
Other key findings from the study:
“Previous studies have reported that differences in prevalence of cigarette smoking, obesity, and consumption of unhealthy diet, as well as inequity in receipt of standard of care, may have contributed to the disparities in incidence and mortality rates for some of the genitourinary cancers,” said Elizabeth Schafer, associate scientist II, surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. “However, further study is needed to better understand the causes of these disparities and help save lives.”
“The continued increase in both the incidence, and the percentage of men presenting with regional and advanced disease prostate cancer is quite concerning,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society and contributing author of the study. “Some of this can be explained by changes in screening patterns but the persistence of this finding suggests the possibility of a biologic or environmental factor.”
Other ACS authors participating in this study include: Dr. Daniel Wiese, Dr. Hyuna Sung, Tyler Kratzer, Dr. Farhad Islami, and Dr. Ahmedin Jemal.