Black patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) continue to face worse survival outcomes compared to other racial groups, according to a new study presented at the 2024 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The research, which analyzed real-world data from the Flatiron database, found that Black patients had shorter overall survival, although the difference was not statistically significant.
The study revealed that Black patients comprised only 5.7% of the database population, highlighting their underrepresentation in real-world cancer data. Asian patients, making up just 1.7% of the database, showed the best survival outcomes among all racial groups.
Dr. Ulka Vaishampayan, a leading expert in the field, emphasized that while the 5.7% representation of Black patients is suboptimal, it still surpasses the 1% or less typically seen in RCC clinical trials.
The research also examined the impact of early adoption of novel therapies on patient outcomes. Notably, the utilization of new treatments did not vary significantly by patient race. However, patients treated at academic centers demonstrated better overall survival benefits compared to those in community practices.
The study underscores the persistent need for increased representation of minority populations in both community databases and clinical trials. It also highlights the potential for early adoption of novel therapies with significant benefits to improve clinical outcomes across all racial groups.
See “Persistence of Racial Disparities in Outcomes for Metastatic RCC” (July 8, 2024)
