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Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer care for American Indians and Alaska Natives

Nature Reviews Urology volume 20, page 129 (2023)Cite this article

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Identifying and addressing disparities in prostate cancer care and outcomes among different patient populations is a priority in the field. In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were used to assess prostate cancer incidence and outcomes in American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, and white patients. American Indian and Alaska Native patients were most likely to be diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer (according to the 9-level Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA-9) risk score) and to have metastases at diagnosis compared with patients in the other groups. Moreover, these patients were less likely to receive radical prostatectomy (in favour of external beam radiotherapy) and experienced higher 5-year prostate-cancer specific mortality (PCSM) than patients in the other groups.

After adjusting for different factors including county-level demographics and provider density, no difference in PCSM hazard was observed in these populations compared with white patients. These results suggest that differences in prostate cancer clinical outcomes observed in American Indian and Alaska Native patients can be ascribed to disparities in access to care. Concerted efforts and dedicated health policies are needed to address this issue.

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  1. Nature Reviews Urology http://www.nature.com/nrurol/

    Maria Chiara Masone

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  1. Maria Chiara Masone
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Correspondence to Maria Chiara Masone.

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Masone, M.C. Prostate cancer care for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Nat Rev Urol 20, 129 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00731-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00731-4

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