Prostate cancer outcome not linked to race

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Race had no impact on prostate cancer outcomes following radiation treatment, U.S. medical researchers found.

Unlike previous studies that had relatively small percentages of African-American patients, almost half of this study group was African-American, the researchers said.

"This study offers an extremely important message for all patients with prostate cancer who receive radiation therapy," senior study author Dr. Benjamin Movsas of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit said in a statement.

"Despite the fact that there was a large difference in income based on race, none of the socioeconomic status factors predicted for outcome. All patients did equally well, based on the known prognostic factors."

The study included 788 Henry Ford Hospital patients treated with external beam radiation for localized prostate cancer between ages 44-90. Of these, 48.5 percent were African-American with a median household income of $36,917, and 46 percent were white with a median household income of $60,190.

The researchers found none of the socioeconomic factors examined predicted for patient outcome. Only known disease risk factors determined overall survival rates, the study found.

The findings were presented in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.