Retrospective pooled analysis of racial and ethnic survival disparities among children with high-risk neuroblastoma in clinical trials

There are population-based racial and ethnic survival disparities for children with high-risk neuroblastoma. It is not known whether these disparities are also seen in clinical trials. A retrospective cohort study using data from Children’s Oncology Group (COG) frontline high-risk neuroblastoma trials evaluated treatment outcomes for children of different races/ethnicities. Among a cohort of 696 patients on induction/consolidation studies, Hispanic children had a 78% higher hazard of death compared with non-Hispanic White children. Among a cohort of 935 patients on post-consolidation studies, non-Hispanic Black children had a 54% higher higher hazard of death, and Hispanic children had a 63% higher hazard of death compared with non-Hispanic White children. The authors conclude that this study suggests that Black and Hispanic children with high-risk neuroblastoma experienced inferior overall survival despite receiving highly standardized treatment on frontline COG clinical trials.