Cancer is Lead Killer Among Hispanics in Texas

Cancer is the largest cause of death for people of Hispanic decent in Texas, according to new research published in the Texas Health Journal.

The research, conducted by the Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas research group, reports that for Texan Hispanics under the age of 76, cancer is the leading cause of death. Ninety-seven percent of the Hispanic populace in Texas is under the age of 76.

Paradoxically, Hispanics, who make up more than one-third of the Texas population, are less likely to die of cancer than non-Hispanic caucasians in Texas.

"Even though cancers tend to be more advanced when diagnosed in Hispanics, death rates were lower than in the white population," the University of Texas-based research group said in a statement. "This phenomenon, known as the Hispanic Paradox, has been noted before by other researchers looking at disease and survival rates across the spectrum. Hispanic Americans tend to survive illness and live longer than white Americans with the same diseases even though the Hispanics have less education, income and access to health care."

The research was based on 10 years of data collected about the diagnosis of new cancer cases and 21 years of of data on cancer deaths.

Using data from the Texas Cancer Registry, Medicare claims records and state vital statistics, the researchers, led by principal investigator Dr. James S. Goodwin of University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, compared rates and trends for cancer in Hispanics to those for non-Hispanic whites in Texas.

The study's key findings, according to the statement, were:

• Hispanic Texans are less likely to be screened for breast or colon cancer.
• Hispanics have lower rates of new cancer diagnoses for breast, colon and lung cancer.
• Of the cancers diagnosed in Hispanics, fewer were in the earliest, most treatable stages - those typically detected through screening. Breast cancer at the most advanced stage was diagnosed at a 12 percent higher rate.
• Cancers more common among Hispanics were stomach and liver cancer in men and stomach, liver and cervical cancer in women. Such cancers can arise from untreated infections.
• Overall mortality from all cancer was lower among Hispanics with the exception of stomach and liver cancer.
• Survival after a diagnosis of cancer is superior for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic whites.