Racial and socioeconomic disparities in presentation and outcomes of well-differentiated thyroid cancer

Abstract

Context: Racial/ethnic minorities suffer disproportionate morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. Objective: Our objective was to assess racial and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) patients. Design and Participants: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 25 945 patients with WDTC (1999-2008) from the California Cancer Registry (57% white, 4% black, 24% Hispanic, and 15% Asian-Pacific Islander [API]). Main Outcomes: We evaluated effect of race and SES variables on stage of cancer presentation and overall/disease-specific survival. Results: Significant differences in stage of presentation between all racial groups were found (P < .04). Conclusion: Black patients and those with low SES have worse outcomes for thyroid cancer. API and Hispanic patients may have a protective effect on survival despite presenting with more advanced disease. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 99: 133-141, 2014). © Copyright 2014 by The Endocrine Society.