Abstract A074: Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Survival and Stages: A Focus on South Asian Americans
Authors: Hundal Jasmin , Mukherjee Sudhipto , Singh Abhay , Chen Yanwen 
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Studying racial-ethnic disparities in cancer risk helps to understand the causes and develop targeted screening and education strategies. South Asian Americans (SAA) are a fast- growing ethnic group in the US,but there is limited research on their cancer risks and outcomes.This study examines overall survival and cancer stage distribution patterns among SAA in comparison to other ethnic groups to highlight disparities in cancer risk and outcomes.Method: We analyzed cancer incidence in 34,552 South Asian patients diagnosed with 23 cancer types between 2000 and 2018 using 18 SEER registries. Using the R package MatchIt, 34,552 White patients were matched based on age, sex,income,rural/urban code,marital status,diagnosis year,and cancer type from 5,106,999 White patients. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank p-values were reported. Statistical summaries included mean, standard deviation, and percentage. T-tests or Chi-Square tests were used where applicable. A p-value &lt; 0.05 was considered significant. All analyses were performed in R version 4.2.2 using survival, survminer, and tableone packages. Results: SAA population exhibited a median survival of 195 months (95% CI: -188 to 201). Asian-Pacific Islanders (API) had a median survival of 184 months (95% CI: -179 to 191, p &lt; 0.0001).Whites median survival was 152 months (95% CI: -147 to 158, p &lt; 0.0001). Hispanics showed a median survival of 153 months (95% CI: -147 to 159, p &lt; 0.0001). Black population had the lowest median survival of 116 months (95% CI: -112 to 120, p &lt; 0.0001). Regarding disease stages, the SAA population had 21.8% distant stage,1.3% in in-situ stage,38.0% localized stage,21.1% regional stage,17.8% unknown stage.In contrast,API had 20.8% distant stage,3.2% in situ stage,37.6% localized stage, 20.9% regional stage,17.6% in unknown stage. White population showed 19.5% in distant stage,7.4% in in situ stage,35.2% in localized stage,20.1% in regional stage,17.8% in unknown stage. Hispanics had 20.9% distant stage,3.4% in situ stage,36.1% localized stage, 20.8% regional stage, 18.8% unknown stage. Black population presented with 22.2% distant stage,2.1% in situ stage,37.9% localized stage,19.4% regional stage,18.4% unknown stage. Discussion: Our study reveals significant disparities in overall survival and disease stage distribution among different ethnic groups. SAA exhibit the highest median survival but also a high proportion of advanced-stage diagnoses, highlighting the need for improved early detection and screening tailored to this population. The Black population, with the lowest median survival, underscores critical gaps in healthcare access that require urgent attention. Variations in disease stage at diagnosis among White, Hispanic, API, and SAA populations emphasize the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare interventions and equitable resource allocation. These findings advocate for targeted strategies to address the needs of each ethnic group, aiming to reduce disparities and improve cancer prognosis for all.

Citation Format: Jasmin Hundal, Sudhipto Mukherjee, Abhay Singh, Yanwen Chen. Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Survival and Stages: A Focus on South Asian Americans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A074.