Purpose-To use a population-based cancer registry to examine trends in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) incidence and survival among four racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/ Pacific Islander (A/PI)) and both genders.Materials and Methods-Race/ethnicity, gender, age, staging, length of survival, and cause of death data were analyzed using 39,434 cases of RCC from 1988 to 2004 from the California Cancer Registry. Annual age-adjusted incidence rates and relative survival rates were calculated for the racial/ethnic and gender groups. These rates and the percent of localized cancer were plotted by year, Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. and Microsoft Excel® was used to calculate linear regression equations. Median age was also calculated. Z-tests and X 2 -tests were performed to determine p-values. NIH Public AccessResults-A rise in RCC incidence was found, with localized cancer accounting for most of the increase. Blacks had a significantly higher incidence rate (p<0.0001) and lower survival rate (p<0.0001) than all other races/ethnicities, despite having more localized cancer (p<0.005). Blacks were also diagnosed at a younger age (p<0.0001) than their counterparts. On the other hand, A/PI's had a lower incidence rate (p<0.0001) and higher survival rate (p<0.05) than all other races/ ethnicities. Males had approximately twice the incidence rate of females and a lower survival rate (p<0.005).Conclusions-Higher incidence rates and lower survival rates were identified among Blacks and males when compared to their counterparts, while A/PI's showed the opposite trends. Such racial/ ethnic and gender disparities in RCC incidence and survival may help elucidate biological, behavioral, and environmental factors that can potentially be addressed.

BACKGROUND This study investigated missing data in a large cancer dataset, to alert educators to the implications and limitations of missing data. METHODS The authors examined the California Cancer Registry for missing data by eight common cancer sites, seven sociodemographic and clinical variables, and the top three reporting sources. RESULTS The gender variable had no missing data, followed by age (0.1% missing), ethnicity (2.2%), stage (7.0%), differentiation (36.3%), and birthplace (42.5%). Hospitals’/clinics’ reports had the lowest percentages of missing data. CONCLUSIONS Educators should anticipate the limitations of missing data in large datasets to prevent methodological flaws and misinterpretations of research findings.

The USA seeks to eliminate health disparities by stimulating the rapid uptake of health-promoting behaviors within disadvantaged communities. A health journalism internship incorporates social marketing strategies to increase communities' access to cancer information, while helping the interns who are recruited from underrepresented communities gain admission to top graduate schools. Interns are taught basic health journalism skills that enable them to create immediate streams of cancer-related press releases for submission to community newspapers. Interns are charged with the social responsibility of continuing this dissemination process throughout their careers. Intermediate outcomes are measured as mediators of distal behavioral change goals.