Objective: Analyze if disparities exist in cancer reporting between ethnicities when collecting family histories in a cancer genetic counseling setting.
Methods: Data was collected from 469 pedigrees from a cancer genetic counseling appointment at University California, Irvine from 1/2015 to 1/2017. Pedigrees selected were of the following ethnic backgrounds: non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, Asian, or Ashkenazi Jewish. The number of first and second-degree relatives was calculated for each pedigree. The number of first and second-degree relatives affected with cancer was calculated. The total reported with cancer was divided by total number of relatives to derive a percentage of cancer reported for each pedigree. The frequency of cancer was analyzed using contingency tables, non-parametric tests, and a Poisson regression.
Results: Cancer reporting was highest among non-Hispanic Whites and Ashkenazi Jews with median percentages of 22% and 27% of affected relatives respectively. The median percentages of cancer reporting in both Hispanics and Asians were 10%. Ethnicity was a significant factor for determining the number of affected relatives reported when analyzed with Poisson regression.
Conclusions: Cancer is reported less in family histories with Hispanic or Asian ethnicity. CDC data reveals these ethnicities have lower cancer incidence rates compared to non-Hispanic Whites; however, the disparity in reporting is greater than the disparity in incidence rates. Therefore, incidence rates alone cannot fully explain the reporting disparity seen in this study. If cancer is underreported in minorities, this can cause truncated family histories. Knowing one’s family history of cancer is imperative for appropriate medical management.