Clinical characteristics and presentation of lung cancer according to race and place of birth

This study compares the clinical presentation and characteristics of lung cancer among white and black patients according to place of birth, and correlates these factors to outcome. All newly diagnosed lung cancers from 2005 to 2007 in three tertiary medical centers were retrospectively reviewed; 767 patients were identified, 252 of whom were black. Age, sex, family history, place of birth, smoking history, insurance status, clinical stage, histology, grade of differentiation, symptoms, circumstance of diagnosis, treatment and outcome data were retrieved from medical charts. Lung cancer was diagnosed incidentally in 28.2% of white individuals versus 12.3% in black individuals (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for other variables, black and white individuals have similar survival rates (hazard ratio: 1.3; 95% CI: 0.8-2.0). The differences in lung cancer survival could be related to access to care, environmental factors and the biology of the disease. Including place of birth in cancer outcome studies could help understanding the origin of health disparity.