Retrospective cohort study of racial disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival among adolescents and young adults

There are limited studies assessing stage at diagnosis and risk of death among all 5 federally defined races in the United States among adolescent and young adult (AYA; age 15-39 years) patients with cancer. A retrospective cohort study using data from a US national hospital-based oncology database on AYA patients investigated racial disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival. In this cohort study of 291,899 AYA patients with a diagnosis of the 10 deadliest cancers between 2004 and 2017, the risk of late-stage cancer at diagnosis was significantly higher for Asian, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander patients compared with White patients. Risk of death, compared with White patients, was significantly higher for American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander patients but lower for Asian patients. The authors conclude that racial disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival exist among AYA patients, which has health policy and funding implications.