Asians with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) are more likely than their white counterparts to present with metastatic disease and to die from it, Dixon T.S. Woon, MBBS, of the University of Toronto reported at the Canadian Urological Association 74th annual meeting in Quebec City.
Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, Dr Woon and his team identified 12,124 patients diagnosed with UTUC during 1988 to 2014. As expected, the majority were older than 64 years (77.6%), male (59%), and white (87.7%). Asians, blacks, and other races made up 6.5%, 4.8%, and 1% of the cohort, respectively.
Overall, 9.8% of patients had metastases at diagnosis. But disproportionally more Asians (12.6%) than whites (9.5%) presented with metastasis. Compared with whites, Asians were 38% more likely to have metastatic disease at diagnosis and 27% more likely to die from UTUC. Both of these increased risks were statistically significant. The investigators found no differences in overall survival or surgical management between groups.
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“Further research should be conducted to evaluate the underlying reason for these findings in order to improve the outcomes for Asian patients with UTUC,” Dr Woon concluded in the study’s abstract.
Reference
Woon D, Herrera-Cáceres JO, Klaassen Z, et al. Disparities associated with disease presentation and poor survival among Asian patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Presented at the 2019 Canadian Urological Association 74th annual meeting held June 29-July 1 in Quebec City. Abstract UP-9.10.
