Changes in radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy rates for African Americans and whites

There are radial differences in prostate cancer outcomes. One variable infl uencing end results is treatment for cure: either radical prostatectomy (RP ) or radiation therapy (RT). The purpose of this report is to determine cha nges in diagnosis rates of localized prostate cancer between the years befo re prostate-specific antigen (PSA) use (1973-1988) and the years after PSA use (1989-1996), to evaluate differences in RP and RT rates between the pre -PSA and post-PSA eras, to assess differences in RP and RT rates between Af rican Americans and whites between these intervals. The Surveillance, Epide miology, and End Results (SEER) data were used and evaluated. Both African Americans and whites had statistically increased rates of localized prostat e cancer diagnosed (70.4 and 49.0 in 1973 through 1988 and 123.1 and 84.9 i n 1989 through 1996, respectively [p < 0.05]). The differences between the pre-PSA and post-PSA eras for African Americans and whites for RP (3.6 vs. 44.3 and 5.0 vs. 44.9, respectively) and RT (23.6 vs. 61.6 and 17.0 vs. 38. 1, respectively) were all significant (p < 0.05). Both African Americans an d whites had increased rates of RP from 3.6 and 5.0 to 44.3 and 44.9, respe ctively, and RT from 23.6 and 17.0 to 61.6 and 38.1 during the pre- and pos t-PSA years.