Response to radiotherapy for prostate cancer better in Black men
© Sanford Radom, MD
Ting Martin Ma, MD, PhD, from the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of data from randomized clinical trials of definitive radiotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer. The selected studies enrolled a substantial number of Black men and reported on treatment-specific and overall outcomes.
Based on seven clinical trials (8814 patients; 18.5% Black), the researchers found that at enrollment, Black men were more likely to have high-risk disease features. However, Black men were less likely to experience biochemical recurrence, distant metastasis, or prostate cancer-specific mortality. There were no significant differences noted in all-cause mortality.
“The findings of this meta-analysis noted that Black men enrolled in randomized clinical trials presented with more aggressive disease features but had better treatment with disease-specific outcomes with radiotherapy-based therapy compared with White men. This suggests other important factors are associated with outcome, such as access to care as sources of disparity,” the researchers summarized.
Practice Update 2022, Jan 13.
