A study of testicular cancer mortality finds worse outcomes among Hispanic men, but better outcomes among Black men.
The findings were reported at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
Incidence rates for testicular cancer in the United States have increased slowly in recent decades, said Anushka Ghosh, a clinical research coordinatory with Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Her analysis found mortality increases from 1999 to 2019 to be significantly greater among Hispanic men. The increase was 0.0019 per 100,000, compared with a 0.0003 per 100,000 decrease among non-Hispanic men (comparison P = .010).
Among Black men, testicular cancer–specific mortality rates declined by 0.0007 per 100,000, compared with a marginally significant increase of 0.0006 per 100,000 among White men (P =.049).
“Given that testicular cancer generally has a favorable prognosis, it is concerning that the mortality rate for this disease is increasing,” said Sophia C. Kamran, MD, the study’s lead author and a radiation oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Kamran urged new efforts to understand these trends and to make testicular cancer care more accessible for all patients.
Ms. Ghosh said that other researchers have identified the same disparity among Hispanic men with prostate cancer. “Even though testicular cancer is a rare, our finding warrants further investigation to find the basis of these disparities to better serve the Hispanic community.”
Other studies have shown higher likelihood of later stage diagnosis and worse survival outcomes among Black patients.
No funding sources were reported for this study.