Predicting the evolution of prostate cancer

The patient, the socio-economic status (income, marital status and sex had no impact on its results after curative radiotherapy for cancer treatment, according to a new study of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

"This study provides a very important message for all patients with prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy, said Movses Benjamin, MD, study author and President of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "Despite the fact that it predicts a large difference in income based on race, none of the factors for socio-economic status results. All patients are not as well, based on known prognostic factors. "

The study will be presented November 4 at the 51 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Chicago. It is unique in that nearly 50 percent of patients in the analysis are African American.

Previous studies on the socio-economic and cancer results from other groups have produced conflicting results study was conducted by the senior author Farzan Siddiqui, MD, Ph.D., with the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital.

One study suggested, for example, that African Americans with breast cancer or colon cancer, as much worse, because they know that patients are treated in hospitals with less expertise. Another shows that men with prostate cancer who are married to better outcomes than those who are not married or without a partner to have. And other studies have shown that hospitals with large minority populations have higher mortality from cancer.

"Henry Ford Hospital treats many patients with cancer and African American has excellent results, so we started really the results of many previous studies of this issue," said Dr Siddiqui. "One problem that many these studies include a relatively low percentage of African American patients. In comparison, nearly half of our African American Working Group, which leads to a more detailed assessment is not influenced as the socioeconomic status of prostate cancer has led to results. "

The Henry Ford Hospital study included 788 patients with localized cancer of the prostate treated with external beam radiotherapy. Among the study 48.5 percent were African American with a median family income is $ 36,917, and 46 percent were white, with a median household income of $ 60,190. Patient age ranged between 44 and 90

Although there is a big difference in the median household income among African-Americans and whites, none of the examined socio-economic factors in predicting patient outcomes. Known as the risk factors of disease measured overall survival, or biochemical (PSA) control rates.

"Our results, if the patient well prepared and well managed, that their race, income and marital status would affect their results can not be cured," said Dr Siddiqui.