The article reviews the most current National Cancer Data Base data for prostate cancer between 1974 and 1990.

“In 1990, African American patients were more likely to have a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer than were non-Hispanic whites; only 17.8% of non-Hispanic white patients had a diagnosis of Stage IV disease, compared with 29.3% of African American patients. African American patients less often had diagnoses of Stage II prostate cancer than did non-Hispanic whites (12.3% versus 16.5%, respectively), but a greater proportion of non-Hispanic white patients had diagnoses of curable prostate cancer than did African Americans (65.7% versus 58.4%, respectively). Although fewer in number, Hispanic patients had a stage distribution intermediate to African American and non-Hispanic white patients.”

“Consistent with the pattern of more advanced disease at diagnosis, African American patients were less likely to have received prostatectomy or radiation therapy and were more likely to have received only hormonal treatment. Hispanic patients also showed a pattern of receiving less radiation therapy and more hormonal therapy.”

“African American men had lower 5-year survival rates than did non-Hispanic white men. African American men had a 5-year relative survival of 49%, compared with 60% for non-Hispanic white men. This corresponded to the greater prevalence of advanced prostate cancer in African American men.”