HPV may explain racial disparity in head and neck cancers
Here's another interesting look at racial disparities in cancer. Researchers have wondered for years why black patients have worse survival from head and neck cancers than whites.
These cancers were once thought to be diseases of older men -- typically smokers and drinkers. But in recent years, experts have noticed a rise in younger men with such cancers and found that the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause. Head and neck cancers can be devastating and disfiguring and researchers have been paying close attention to the HPV link for clues to better understand the cancers and the racial disparity.
Here's the latest effort: A new study from University of Maryland researchers finds that, surprisingly, cancer patients who also tested positive for HPV had better prognosis than patients without the virus. Blacks had very low rates of HPV, and therefore, far worse survival than whites, according to the study, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. Researchers think this might explain why blacks have traditionally had worse outcomes with head and neck cancers. HPV could make all the difference.
"For the first time, we have evidence that the major difference in survival between black and white patients with head and neck cancer appears to be the rate of HPV infection," said Dr. Kevin J. Cullen, director of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center.
The study analyzed data from more than 200 patients in Baltimore and compared them with another group of 230 patients in a clinical trial elsewhere. Overall survival for whites -- 71 months-- was more than three-fold higher than for blacks -- 21 months.
All of this begs the question: why?
In short, researchers aren't sure. Cullen said differences in sexual behavior might play a role. Or it could be biological differences in immunity, access to care, lack of insurance, or all of the above. That's the quandary of racial disparities -- so many factors could play a role. Researchers plan to probe further.
For now, Cullen thinks the study's findings can help doctors better treat black patients and perhaps increase their survival.
