Clinicopathologic Behavior of Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Hispanic Patients: Analysis of a Single Institution's Experience Over 15 Years

Abstract

Hispanic ethnicity does not impact survival in gastric adenocarcinoma. However, histology, metastasis pattern, tumor localization, and other clinical parameters differ sufficiently to warrant further investigation into the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and molecular biology of gastric cancer in this population.

The impact of ethnicity on the presentation and prognosis of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma

“…3,5 Furthermore, a recent retrospective study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that Hispanic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma displayed unique clinicopathologic features. 7 Although Hispanic ethnicity did not influence survival in the latter study, Asian race remained a favorable predictor of outcome. Stage migration, [8][9][10][11] treatment differences, [12][13][14] and differences in disease behavior [15][16][17][18][19] have been proposed to explain the differences in outcomes between Japanese patients and Western patients.…”

“…Because our current study is representative nationally, these findings also may be attributed to the typically advanced nature of proximal tumors at presentation or to the possibility that these cancers constitute a different disease. 6,24,25 Yao et al 7 assessed the characteristics and outcome of 301 Hispanic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma among 1897 such patients who were seen at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. In that study, Hispanics were more likely to be younger, to have distal tumors, and to develop peritoneal metastasis than other ethnicities.…”

“…Second, we and others have demonstrated that ethnicity is associated with presentation, treatment, and outcome in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. 3,5,7,29 Ethnicity may be an additional factor that should be integrated into the recently published prognostic nomogram developed by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that is used to determine gastric cancer disease-specific survival after total (R0) resection. 28 The utility of prognostic variables should be maximized in discussions with our patients, in treatment decision making, and in designs of future therapy protocols.…”

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7] Over the past 5 years, 2 population-based analyses, 1 conducted in British Columbia, Canada, and the other in southern California, revealed that self-identified Asian race/ethnicity, including patients of Asian descent, had distinct tumor-related features and a more favorable outcome in compared with individuals from other ethnic backgrounds with the disease. 3,5 Furthermore, a recent retrospective study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated that Hispanic patients with gastric adenocarcinoma displayed unique clinicopathologic features.…”

Signal Transduction Proteins in Tumors From Puerto Rican and Caucasian Gastric Adenocarcinoma Patients: Expression Differences With Potential for Specific Targeted Therapies

“…Ethnic variations in disease features may be in part responsible for these results. Thus, native white Americans are at low risk, while American Indians, Blacks, and Hispanics, as well as immigrants from Russia, Scandinavia, Japan, and some Latin American countries are at high risk (10,11,(28)(29)(30)(31). From 1958 to 1979, the incidence of gastric cancer in Puerto Rican-born residents in New York City (PR-NYC) was slightly higher than in Puerto Ricans living in Puerto Rico (PR-PR), and comparable to that of other Hispanic groups that migrated to New Mexico and Los Angeles (5-9).…”