Trends in colorectal cancer mortality in hispanics: a SEER analysis

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality among Hispanics is lower than Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). If Hispanics receive equitable care and achieve the same degree of health benefit, their trend of better survival should be maintained. This study assesses mortality trends among Hispanics overtime to compare their survival improvement with NHW. METHODS: We used the Incidence-Based Mortality database of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) to assess the mortality gap, which is defined as the difference in stage-specific mortality between NHWs and Hispanics, and currently has an advantage for Hispanics. RESULTS: There is a statistically significant disparity in stage-specific mortality of CRC by race, with a higher proportion of deaths from metastatic disease among Hispanics than NHW (48% vs. 44% respectively). Comparing the time intervals of 2000-2005 and 2006-2011, mortality was reduced by 15.1% for NHWs and 5.9% for Hispanics, resulting in a narrowing of the mortality gap. The mortality gap between Hispanics and NHW is tapering overtime for every stage of the disease, reflecting that Hispanics have a disparity in CRC mortality. CONCLUSION: The mortality gap between Hispanics and NHWs is narrowing, supporting a significantly lower rate of mortality improvement in Hispanics. If the current trend continues, mortality rates in Hispanics will outpace that of NHWs.