Research Results

• New Study Implicates Healthcare Utilization Rates, More than Biology, in Colorectal Cancer Disparities
  Higher rates of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality experienced by African-Americans may be driven largely by differences in health care utilization, and less by biology, according to a new study led by researchers from NCI. Lower rates of follow-up could lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment and higher mortality. 
• Researchers Find Biological Factors that May Drive Prostate Tumor Aggressiveness in African-American Men
  Researchers analyzing prostate tumors have identified differences in gene expression (the degree to which individual genes are turned on or off) between African-American and European-American men that show the existence of distinct tumor microenvironments (the area that includes the tumor and the surrounding non-cancerous tissue) in these two patient groups.
• More Accurate Method of Estimating Invasive Breast Cancer Risk in African American Women Developed
  A new model for calculating invasive breast cancer risk, called the CARE model, has been found to give better estimates of the number of breast cancers that would develop in African American women 50 to 79 years of age than an earlier model which was based primarily on data from white women.
• Hispanic Breast Cancer Differences Persist with Equal Access to Care
  Despite equal access to health care services, differences persist in the size, stage, and grade of breast cancer for Hispanic women compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) women, according to results from a study published April 9 in Cancer.
• Age, Race, and Income Level Associated with Undertreatment of Ovarian Cancer
  Women with ovarian cancer who are aged 70 and older, African American or Hispanic, or insured by Medicaid were less likely to receive the recommended comprehensive surgical treatment, according to study results in the May 15, 2007 journal Cancer.
• Published Research from Special Populations Networks
  Citations for published research about cancer health disparities, authored by investigators who are part of the Special Populations Networks.