Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

Abstract

Background & Aim: Esophageal cancer has a higher incidence and mortality in the US black population. Approximately, half of the black immigrant population in the US is of Caribbean origin where there is a lower incidence of esophageal cancer. This study sought to assess any differences in the presentation, characteristics and survival between black esophageal cancer patients who are native African-Americans compared with Caribbean migrants. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with a histological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma of the esophagus from 2005-2015. Results were statistically analyzed with Pearson’s chi-square testing and survival data was compared using log rank testing. Results: 66 patients were studied; 50 were male and 16 were female. 91% of patients were black with 64% of them being Afro- Caribbean and 36% African-American. Mean age at presentation was 61.6 years compared with the national mean of 67 years. Survival at 6 months after diagnosis was 47% which was comparable to the national average of 46% during a similar study period. Amongst those that died, median time to death was 4.7 months. There was no statistically significant difference between African-American and Afro-Caribbean patients regarding age at diagnosis (p=0.339), histological diagnosis (p=0.663), tumor stage (p=0.648) and tumor grade (p=0.347) or survival (0.140). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics and survival in esophageal cancer between the African American and immigrant Afro-Caribbean population. This suggests that there may be undescribed negative acculturation factors that contribute to the migrant Caribbean population losing their survival advantage.

Biography

Yakira David is a 3rd year Resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She has an interest in the racial and ethnic disparities in the clinical characteristics and outcomes across the spectrum of GI malignancies and is currently conducting research in this field as part of a team of residents and fellows under the supervision of Dr. Shivakumar Vignesh, the Program Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Email: yakira.david@downstate.edu