Race may influence uterine cancer recurrence

In spite of receiving identical care, African Americans are more likely to have a recurrence of uterine cancer than their Caucasian counterparts, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

In one of the largest retrospective studies of its kind with 750 stage I or II uterine cancer patients, researchers found that despite undergoing a total hysterectomy or a hysterectomy followed by radiation therapy, African American women were more likely to suffer a recurrence than Caucasian women. Median time to recurrence among the group was 1.2 years.

The site of recurrence was primarily vaginal (74%) for those who did not receive radiation therapy. The researchers also found that higher tumor grade and cancer stage, along with age (older than 65 years), were risk factors for uterine cancer recurrence after treatment.