Influence of birthplace on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment for Hispanic women

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Jun;121(3):743-51. doi: 10.1007/s10549-009-0643-3. Epub 2009 Dec 1.

Abstract

Research has shown that Hispanic women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer at more advanced stages and initiate treatment later than non-Hispanic white women. We investigated whether stage at breast cancer diagnosis and receipt of primary therapy differ by ethnicity and birthplace among US-born Hispanic, foreign-born Hispanic, and white women. We studied 31,012 Hispanic women and 372,313 white women with a first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer during 1988 and 2005 living in a SEER area. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the association of ethnicity and birthplace with stage at diagnosis and, among women with stage I or II cancers, primary therapy [mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiation, BCS without radiation], adjusting for other patient and tumor characteristics. Rates of stage at diagnosis differed significantly by race/ethnicity and birthplace (P < 0.001). Foreign-born Hispanics had lower adjusted rates of stage I breast cancer at diagnosis (35.4%) than US-born Hispanics (40.6%), birthplace-unknown Hispanics (42.3%), and whites (47.4%). Receipt of primary therapy also differed significantly by race/ethnicity and birthplace (P < 0.001). Foreign-born Hispanics and birthplace-unknown Hispanics had lower rates of BCS with radiation (34.9%, 30.7%) than US-born Hispanics (41.5%) and whites (38.8%). Foreign-born Hispanic women in the United States have a lower probability of being diagnosed at earlier stages of breast cancer and, for women with early-stage disease, of receiving radiation following BCS compared to US-born Hispanics and whites. Identifying factors mediating these disparities may help in developing culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and improving outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Breast Neoplasms / ethnology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Early Diagnosis
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Mastectomy, Segmental / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / statistics & numerical data
  • Residence Characteristics*
  • Risk Factors
  • United States / epidemiology