Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Clinical Characteristics, Biology, andTreatment

摘要

African-American and caucasian women with newly diagnosed breast cancer wereenrolled in the study. Upon enrollment, demographic data, tumor characteristics, and tumor staging data were obtained. Tumor samples were evaluated for estrogen and progesterone receptor levels, DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction, HER-2/neu expression, p53 protein accumulation, cathepsin D levels, and glutathione levels. Treatment choices, treatment received, relapse site and date, and date and cause of death were recorded in follow-up. To date, 119 women have been enrolled in the study (61 black and 58 white). While there have been differences between the black and white women noted in some of the above described parameters, none, as yet, reaches statistical significance. Specifically, black women appear to have earlier stage disease at diagnosis, are less likely to have ER/PR (+) tumors, and are more likely to receive appropriate therapy. Despite the relatively favorable findings in black women, their overall survival is significantly worse than that of the white women enrolled in the study.