Breast cancer among hispanic and non-hispanic white women in Arizona

Background. Breast cancer in Hispanic women is poorly understood and data on tumor hormone receptor status in this population are limited. Methods. Using data from the Arizona Cancer Registry, we assessed differences in tumor characteristics between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) women using logistic regression modeling. 25,494 invasive breast cancer cases (23,657 NHWs and 1,837 Hispanics) reported to the cancer registry in 1995 to 2003 were included in the analysis. Results. In age-adjusted models, compared with NHW women, Hispanics were more likely to have high-grade cancers, larger tumors, a greater number of positive lymph nodes, and advanced stage at diagnosis. Hispanic women were less likely to have tumors that are both estrogen and progesterone receptor positive (ER+/PR+), particularly those under age 60. Conclusions. The profile of tumor presentation in Hispanic women in Arizona is consistent with a more aggressive disease pattern and less favorable prognosis than that of NHWs.