Tamara Thomas

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Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to die from second primary cancers than White and Asian/Pacific Islander patients, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Despite advances in cancer treatment and diagnosis, racial and ethnic disparities still persist in cancer survival, reflecting systemic barriers in cancer treatment and screening. 
For this study, researchers analyzed data from US registries for 13 years (2000–2013) to determine if there are racial and ethnic disparities in survival in people with second primary cancers. A second primary cancer is a new cancer that develops in a person who has already had a different cancer(Not a recurrence of the first cancer).
The study included 230370 patients. Of these patients, 79.5% were White, 9.6% were Black, 4.5% Asian or Pacific islander. The patients were 20 years or older.
During the follow-up period (median of 54 months), the researchers observed that there were 109757 cancer-related deaths (47.6%) and 18,723 CVD-related deaths (7.9%). 
The researchers also observed that White patients were more likely to be diagnosed with localized-stage second primary cancers (55%) compared to Hispanic (51.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (50.6%), or Black (48.1%)
After adjusting for sex, age, year, and prior cancer type and stage, the researchers found that Black and Hispanic patients had a higher risk of death from second primary cancer than white people (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.18-1.23). However, Asian and Pacific Islander patients had a lower risk of death than White people.
Furthermore, the study showed that the 5-year relative survival rate of secondary cancer was highest in White patients (60.6%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander patients (59.3%), Hispanic patients (58.1%), and Black patients (50.6%).
For White patients, the researchers observed the survival rate was highest for 8 of 13 secondary primary cancers: Female breast, oral cavity/pharyngeal, prostate, thyroid, uterine, melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and bladder cancer.
The Asian/Pacific Islander Population had the highest survival rate for 4-second primary cancers: Colorectal, pancreatic, stomach, and lung cancer. However, these populations had the lowest survival rate for thyroid cancer.
Black patients only had the highest survival rate for kidney cancer. Their survival rate was lowest for 10 cancers—Female breast, colorectal, uterine, oral cavity/pharyngeal, lung, pancreatic, stomach, bladder, and prostate cancer, as well as melanoma.
On the other hand, Hispanic patients had the lowest survival rate for kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“Over 20% of newly diagnosed cancers in the US occur among persons with a cancer history, and the proportion is expected to increase, highlighting a critical need to better understand outcomes in persons with multiple primary cancers,” the researchers wrote. “The findings of racial and ethnic disparities in SPC [second primary cancer] survival may inform the development and equitable implementation of survivorship and treatment guidelines for the growing population of persons with multiple primary cancers.”
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Source: <a href="https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/urology/bladder-cancer/black-hispanic-patients-have-higher-risk-of-death-from-second-primary-cancers/">Renal Urology News</a>
Journal Source:<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808077"> JAMANetwork</a>

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