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. 2004 May;94(5):803-8.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.5.803.

Racial differences in survival among men with prostate cancer and comorbidity at time of diagnosis

Vincent L Freeman  1 , Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, LaShon C Keys, Marc P Johnson, Kristian Schafernak, Vikas K Patel
Affiliations

Racial differences in survival among men with prostate cancer and comorbidity at time of diagnosis

Vincent L Freeman et al. Am J Public Health. 2004 May.

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of comorbidity at diagnosis on racial differences in survival among men with prostate cancer.

Methods: Clinical and demographic data were abstracted from records of 864 patients diagnosed at 4 Chicago area hospitals between 1986 and 1990. Comorbidity was scored on the basis of clinical information in the Charlson index. Cause-specific relative mortality adjusted for age, stage, differentiation, and treatment was compared across Charlson scores with Cox proportional hazards functions.

Results: Blacks had significantly greater mortality from prostate cancer and other causes (vs Whites, relative risk [95% confidence interval] = 1.84 [1.22, 2.79] and 1.69 [1.33, 2.29], respectively; P <.001). However, differences disappeared as initial comorbidity increased (1.75 [1.33, 2.31] vs 0.90 [0.59, 1.29] for scores = 0 and > or =5, respectively).

Conclusions: Absence of a significant preexisting medical diagnosis is associated with a higher risk for excess mortality among Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Ninety-five percent bootstrap confidence intervals for cause-specific mortality rates of Blacks relative to Whites, by Charlson comorbidity score.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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