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EDITORIAL COMMENT

Similar to other published data1 using the SEER registry,during this era (1991 to 1999) fewer black patients under-went definitive therapy than their white counterparts.

When staging bone scan was not indicated, there was adecrease in the number of bone scans ordered by 13.5% and19.1% in black and white patients, respectively, after theguidelines were published. When staging bone scan wasindicated, the test was ordered more commonly in whitethan in black patients (83.7% vs 74.5%) before guidelinepublication but no statistically significant difference wasnoted after the guidelines were published (74.5% vs 73.8%).Interestingly this decrease in racial disparities in stagingtest use is not because more bone scans were ordered forblack patients, but because fewer were ordered for whitepatients. These authors suggest that the difference in pros-tate cancer survival outcomes is not due to disparities instaging test use.

Tracy M. DownsDepartment of Surgery (Urology)

University of California, San DiegoVeterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System

San Diego, California

1. Underwood W III, Jackson J, Wei JT, Dunn R, Baker B,DeMonner S and Wood DP: Racial treatment trends inlocalized/regional prostate carcinoma: 1992–1999. Cancer2005; 103: 538.

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