IMPORTANCE Black men are more likely to die of prostate cancer than white men. In men with similar stages of disease, the contribution of biological vs nonbiological differences to this observed disparity is unclear. OBJECTIVE To quantify the association of black race with long-term survival outcomes after controlling for known prognostic variables and access to care among men with prostate cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This multiple-cohort study included updated individual patient-level data of men with clinical T1-4N0-1M0 prostate cancer from the following 3 cohorts: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER [n = 296 273]); 5 equal-access regional medical centers within the Veterans Affairs health system (VA [n = 3972]); and 4 pooled National Cancer Institute-sponsored Radiation Therapy Oncology Group phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs [n = 5854]). Data were collected in the 3

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is Purpose: Utilization of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for treatment of localized prostate cancer is increasing. Guidelines and payers variably support the use of prostate SBRT. We therefore sought to systematically analyze biochemical NotedAn online CME test for this article can be taken at https:// academy.astro.org.

SUMMARY Disparities in cancer care have been a long-standing challenge. We estimated the genetic ancestry of The Cancer Genome Atlas patients, and performed a pan-cancer analysis on the influence of genetic ancestry on genomic alterations. Compared with European Americans, African Americans (AA) with breast, head and neck, and endometrial cancers exhibit a higher level of chromosomal instability, while a lower level of chromosomal instability was observed in AAs with kidney cancers. The frequencies of TP53 mutations and amplification of CCNE1 were increased in AAs in the cancer types showing higher levels of chromosomal instability. We observed lower frequencies of genomic alterations affecting genes in the PI3K pathway in AA patients across cancers. Our result provides insight into genomic contribution to cancer disparities.

Historically, most patients with low-risk prostate cancer (clinical category T1c-T2a, prostate-specific antigen level <10 ng/mL, and Gleason 6 disease) were treated with radical prostatectomy, while radiotherapy-based treatment was the favored approach for high-risk localized prostate cancer. 1 However, conservative management of low-risk prostate cancer with active surveillance or watchful waiting (AS/WW) offers an alternative to radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, 2 and national guidelines began advocating its use in 2010. 3,4 Nevertheless, current AS/WW rates across the United States are not well established, and it is unclear if increasing acceptance of AS/WW for low-risk prostate cancer might be associated with changes in management patterns in higher-risk prostate cancer. Therefore, we examined US trends in management patterns for localized prostate cancer across risk groups.Methods | The custom Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Prostate Active Surveillance/Watchful Waiting database, unlike other databases, includes a quality-assured AS/WW variable. 5 The proposal for this study was approved by the SEER custom data group. All men with localized prostate cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 and known management type were included.Patients designated by treating facilities as receiving AS or WW as management without any receipt of definitive therapy were coded by SEER as AS/WW. 5 If changes from AS/WW to definitive therapy occurred within 1 year of diagnosis for reasons other than disease progression, the cases were coded as the definitive therapy used. Definitive therapy types were defined by SEER as either definitive radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy (including external-beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or any combination thereof); the positive predictive value and specificity of both variables are high.Baseline characteristics, stratified by year of diagnosis, were summarized by descriptive statistics. Use of initial

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors targeting cytotoxic T- lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), or programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) have transformed the care of patients with a wide range of advanced-stage malignancies. More than half of these patients will also have an indication for treatment with radiotherapy. The effects of both radiotherapy and immune-checkpoint inhibition (ICI) involve a complex interplay with the innate and adaptive immune systems, and accumulating evidence suggests that, under certain circumstances, the effects of radiotherapy synergize with those of ICI to augment the antitumour responses typically observed with either modality alone and thus improve clinical outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which radiotherapy and immune-checkpoint inhibitors synergistically modulate the immune response might also affect both the type and severity of treatment-related toxicities. Moreover, in patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors, the development of immune-related adverse events has been linked with superior treatment responses and patient survival durations, suggesting a relationship between the antitumour and adverse autoimmune effects of these agents. In this Review, we discuss the emerging data on toxicity profiles related to immune-checkpoint inhibitors and radiotherapy, both separately and in combination, their potential mechanisms, and the approaches to managing these toxicities.

BACKGROUND:The objective of this study was to examine the effects of marital status on stage at presentation, receipt of treatment, and survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to analyze 51,272 patients who were diagnosed with HNC from 2007 to 2010. The impact of marital status on cancer stage at presentation, receipt of definitive treatment, and HNC-specific mortality (HNCSM) was determined using multivariable logistic and Fine and Gray competing-risks regression models, as appropriate. RESULTS: Marriage had a protective effect against metastatic presentation of oral and laryngeal cancers (oral cancer: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-0.87; P <.001; laryngeal cancer: AOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.42-0.67; P <.001) but not against oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, or nasopharyngeal cancers. Among patients with nonmetastatic disease, married patients were more likely to receive definitive treatment (overall AOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.60-1.95; P <.001) and had a lower risk of HNCSM (overall adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.68-0.77; P <.001); these associations remained significant across all HNC sites. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with oral and laryngeal cancers, those who are married are less likely to present with metastatic disease. In addition, married patients are more likely to receive definitive treatment and less likely to die from HNC across all HNC sites. This suggests that spousal support may have a role in the surveillance of visual and symptomatic HNC types and leads to higher rates of treatment and better survival across all HNC sites.

Uninsured patients and patients with Medicaid are more likely to present with metastatic disease, are more likely to not be treated definitively, and are at a higher risk of HNCSM. The treatment gap between Medicaid and private insurance observed in this study should serve as an immediate policy target for health care reform.

Pharmacologic ADT increased the risk of depression and inpatient psychiatric treatment in this large study of elderly men with localized PCa. This risk increased with longer duration of ADT. The possible psychiatric effects of ADT should be recognized by physicians and discussed with patients before initiating treatment.