PROSTATE-CANCER - TRENDS IN MORTALITY AND STAGE-SPECIFIC INCIDENCE RATES BY RACIAL ETHNIC-GROUP IN LOS-ANGELES-COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (UNITED-STATES)

Between 1976 and 1988 in the United States, the secular trends in age- adjusted incidence rates of prostate cancer were significantly differe nt by racial/ethnic group (P < 0.001), and increased significantly onl y among non-Hispanic Whites at a rate of 2.7 percent (95 percent confi dence interval [CI] = 2.3-3.1%) annually. While incidence rates of reg ional disease increased significantly (7.7 percent to 11.3 percent ann ually) among all racial/ ethnic groups during this period, localized d isease increased significantly only among non-Hispanic Whites, by 1.8 percent (CI = 1.4-2.3%) annually. Prostate cancer mortality in Los Ang eles County (California) remained constant among Hispanics, non-Hispan ic Whites, and Asians, but increased 1.6 percent ( CI = 0-3.2%) annual ly among Blacks. While the increase in localized disease rates of non- Hispanic Whites may be due to increased detection of asymptomatic dise ase, this apparently has not occurred among other racial/ethnic groups in Los Angeles County. The secular increase in regional disease rates among all racial/ethnic groups without a concurrent increase in morta lity (except Blacks), suggests increased accuracy of staging rather th an a true increase in incidence may account for these trends. Adjusted for socioeconomic status, year and age at diagnosis, Black and Hispan ic men were at significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with non-l ocalized disease (odds ratio = 1.39 and 1.24, respectively) than were non-Hispanic Whites.