Black Survivors of Second Primary Cancers Face Higher Risk for Death

TUESDAY, Aug. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Among survivors of second primary cancers (SPCs), Black patients have the highest risk for death from both cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online Aug. 4 in JAMA Network Open.

Hyuna Sung, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined racial and ethnic disparities in survival in 230,370 U.S. adults (aged 20 years and older) with SPCs (diagnosed 2000 through 2013 and followed for a median 54 months).

The researchers found that compared with the White population, the risk for cancer-related death overall was higher in the Black (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21) and Hispanic (HR, 1.10) populations but lower in the Asian or Pacific Islander population (HR, 0.93). The risk for cancer-related death was higher for 10 SPCs in the Black population, with the highest risk seen for uterine cancer (HR, 1.87). Elevated risk was seen for seven SPCs in the Hispanic population, particularly for melanoma (HR, 1.46). The overall risk for CVD-related death was higher in the Black population (HR, 1.41), including for 11 SPCs, while the risk for CVD-related death was lower in the Asian or Pacific Islander (HR, 0.75) and Hispanic (HR, 0.90) populations versus the White population. Similar associations for cancer-related death and for CVD-related death, albeit attenuated, were seen with further adjustments for county attributes and SPC characteristics and treatment.

"These findings suggest that research priorities to address survival disparities in the growing population of survivors of multiple primary cancers are warranted," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text