Why Fewer Blacks and Hispanics Survive Some Childhood Cancers

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Poverty is a major reason black and Hispanic children with some types of cancer have lower survival rates than white patients, a new study finds.

Researchers examined U.S. government data on nearly 32,000 black, Hispanic and white children who were diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2011. For several cancers, whites were much more likely to survive than blacks and Hispanics.

Rebecca Kehm and her University of Minnesota colleagues wondered whether those differences were due to socioeconomic status -- that is, one's position based on income, education and occupation.

Their conclusion: It had a significant effect on the link between race/ethnicity and survival for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

For blacks compared to whites, socioeconomic status reduced the link between race/ethnicity and survival by 44 percent and 28 percent for the two leukemias; by 49 percent for neuroblastoma; and by 34 percent for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

For Hispanics compared to whites, the reductions were 31 percent and 73 percent for the two leukemias; 48 percent for neuroblastoma; and 28 percent for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Socioeconomic status was not a major factor in survival disparities for other types of childhood cancer, including central nervous system tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin lymphoma, Wilms tumor and germ cell tumors, the researchers said.

The study was published Aug. 20 in the journal Cancer.

"These findings provide insight for future intervention efforts aimed at closing the survival gap," Kehm said in a journal news release.

"For cancers in which socioeconomic status is a key factor in explaining racial and ethnic survival disparities, behavioral and supportive interventions that address social and economic barriers to effective care are warranted," she said.

"However, for cancers in which survival is less influenced by socioeconomic status, more research is needed on underlying differences in tumor biology and drug processing," Kehm added.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on cancer in children.