Lung Cancer Incidence by Detailed Race–Ethnicity

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Lung cancer incidence patterns and clinical characteristics across the heterogeneous non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic racial–ethnic populations of the United States (US) are understudied. This characterization of lung cancer rates across US minority populations is important for targeting clinical and public health measures in high-risk populations. The aim of our population-based study is to assess lung cancer heterogeneity among these populations by detailed race–ethnicity or nativity (e.g., Cubans, Mexicans, Caribbean-born Blacks) using all lung cancer cases from the Florida state cancer registry, 2012–2018, and computing, for the first time, age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) for each population. AAIRs among Blacks and Hispanics vary approximately 3-fold between detailed groups and highlight the need to look beyond aggregate groups for tailored approaches in the fight against lung cancer. The implications of these findings are significant for public health surveillance and for clinical professionals working with diverse US populations. ABSTRACT: Lung cancer (LC) incidence rates and tumor characteristics among (non-Hispanic) Black and Hispanic detailed groups, normally characterized in aggregate, have been overlooked in the US. We used LC data from the Florida state cancer registry, 2012–2018, to compute LC age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) for US-born Black, Caribbean-born Black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and Central and South American populations. We analyzed 120,550 total LC cases. Among Hispanics, Cuban males had the highest AAIR (65.6 per 100,000; 95%CI: 63.6–67.6), only 8% [Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR): 0.92; 95%CI: 0.89–0.95] lower than Whites, but 2.7 (IRR 95%CI: 2.31-3.19) times higher than Central Americans. Among Blacks, the AAIR for US-born Black males was over three times that of those Caribbean-born (IRR: 3.12; 95%CI: 2.80–3.40) and 14% higher than White males (IRR: 1.14; 95%CI: 1.11–1.18). Among women, US-born Blacks (46.4 per 100,000) and foreign-born Mexicans (12.2 per 100,000) had the highest and lowest rates. Aggregation of non-Hispanic Blacks or Hispanics obscures inherent disparities within groups. Understanding the distinct LC rates in US populations is crucial for targeting public health measures for LC diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Further LC research exploring detailed race–ethnicity regarding LC in never-smokers is necessary, particularly among females and considering pertinent environmental factors.