Differences at Presentation and Treatment of Testicular Cancer in Hispanic Men: Institutional and National Hospital-based Analyses

Objective: To describe epidemiologic patterns, stage at presentation, histology, and treatment differences associated with Hispanic men diagnosed with testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT). Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic in the United States and reports suggest that the incidence of TGCT is rising most rapidly in this demographic, yet little is known about TGCTs in Hispanic patients. Materials and Methods: We compared patient factors, tumor characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of non-Hispanic white (NHW) vs Hispanic patients at our own institution in North Texas from 2010 to 2016. The findings were corroborated by analyzing the National Cancer Database testicular cancer registry from 2004 to 2014. Results: We identified 154 patients with TGCT at our institution, of which 89 were NHW (56.0%) and 65 were Hispanic (40.9%). A review of the National Cancer Database identified 49,607 NHW patients (81.5%) and 6724 Hispanic patients (11.0%) diagnosed with TGCT. At presentation, Hispanic patients were approximately 5 years younger than NHW patients, delay seeking care for testicular cancer, were more likely to have nonseminomatous histology, had a larger tumor size, and had a higher disease burden at presentation. Additionally, we identified differences in treatment patterns at the national level. Conclusion: Differences in outcomes and treatment patterns of Hispanic and NHW patients with TGCT may represent underlying socioeconomic issues and access to care; however, discrepancies in age of onset and histology of TGCT between Hispanic and NHW patients may signify differences in tumor biology or risk factors. We suggest that this possibility be explored further as we embark upon the genomic classification of TGCT.