Association between Race and Cancer-Related Mortality among Patients with Colorectal Cancer in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of mortality in the United States (US). Differences in CRC mortality according to race have been extensively studied; however, much more understanding with regard to tumor characteristics’ effect on mortality is needed. The objective was to investigate the association between race and mortality among CRC patients in the US during 2007–2014. A retrospective cohort study using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, which collects cancer statistics through selected population-based cancer registries during in the US, was conducted. The outcome variable was CRC-related mortality in adult patients (≥18 years old) during 2007–2014. The independent variable was race of white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander (API), and American Indian/Alaska Native (others). The covariates were, age, sex, marital status, health insurance, tumor stage at diagnosis, and tumor size and grade. Bivariate analysis was performed to identify possible confounders (chi-square tests). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were used to study the association between race and CRC-specific mortality. The final number of participants consisted of 70,392 patients. Blacks had a 32% higher risk of death compared to whites (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–1.43). Corresponding OR for others were 1.41 (95% CI 1.10–1.84). API had nonsignificant adjusted odds of mortality compared to whites (0.95; 95% CI 0.87–1.03). In conclusion, we observed a significant increased risk of mortality in black and American Indian/Alaska Native patients with CRC compared to white patients.