Evaluation of racial disparities in pediatric optic pathway glioma incidence: Results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, 2000–2014

Publication date: June 2018

Source: Cancer Epidemiology, Volume 54

Author(s): Erin C. Peckham-Gregory, Roberto E. Montenegro, David A. Stevenson, David H. Viskochil, Michael E. Scheurer, Philip J. Lupo, Joshua D. Schiffman

Abstract

Background

Racial predilection to pediatric cancer exists; however optic pathway glioma (OPG) risk differences by race/ethnicity are undefined. We estimated differences in OPG incidence across racial/ethnic groups in a multi-state cancer surveillance registry in the United States.

Methods

OPG data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-18) Program, 2000–2014. Race/ethnicity was categorized as: White; Black; Asian; Other; and Latino/a ("Spanish-Hispanic-Latino"). Latino/a included all races, while all other categories excluded those identified as Latino/a. Age-adjusted incidence rates and rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated in SEER-STAT (v8.3.4).

Results

Data on 709 OPG cases ages 0–19 were abstracted from SEER-18. Minority children experienced lower age-adjusted OPG incidence rates compared to White children (IRR_Black = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.28–0.50; IRR_Asian = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.29–0.58; and IRR_Latino/a = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.32–0.48). In subgroup analyses among the highest risk age categories (0–4, 5–9), minority children experienced lower incidence rates compared to White children. Specific patterns for Latinos/as also emerged. Latino/a children ages 0–4 experienced the lowest incidence rates of all racial/ethnic groups compared to Whites (0.24 per 100,000 person-years versus 0.66 per 100,000 person-years, respectively), whereas among those ages 5–9, Black and Asian children experienced the lowest incidence rates (0.08 per 100,000 person-years each).

Conclusions

Incidence of OPGs was highest among White children. This study represents one of the largest to assess differences in OPG susceptibility by race/ethnicity. These findings may inform future studies that seek to evaluate modifying factors for this pediatric tumor including tumorigenesis, treatment, outcome, and long-term late effects.

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