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Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an innovative treatment option for prostate cancer, has rapidly diffused over the past decade. To inform our understanding of racial disparities in prostate cancer treatment and outcomes, this study compared diffusion of IMRT in African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) prostate cancer patients during the early years of IMRT diffusion using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare linked database. A retrospective cohort of 947 AA and 10,028 CA patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer from 2002 through 2006, who were treated with either IMRT or non-IMRT as primary treatment within 1 year of diagnoses was constructed. Logistic regression was used to examine potential differences in diffusion of IMRT in AA and CA patients, while adjusting for socioeconomic and clinical covariates. A significantly smaller proportion of AA compared with CA patients received IMRT for localized prostate cancer (45% vs. 53%, p < .0001). Racial differences were apparent in multivariable analysis though did not achieve statistical significance, as time and factors associated with race (socioeconomic, geographic, and tumor related factors) explained the preponderance of variance in use of IMRT. Further research examining improved access to innovative cancer treatment and technologies is essential to reducing racial disparities in cancer care.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a particular set of health behaviors of health care providers and African American men (AAM) influence patient satisfaction from the AAM’s perspective. This descriptive, correlational study consisted of 505 AAM in North Carolina diagnosed with prostate cancer and enrolled in the North Carolina–Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP). Analyses consisted of bivariate analyses and multiple regression. Patient-to-provider communication, interpersonal treatment, and provider-to-patient communication accounted for 45% ( p ≤ .0001) of the variability in patient satisfaction. Interpersonal treatment (provider focusing on the patient) explained the greatest amount ( F = 313.53, R 2 = .39) of patient satisfaction. Since interpersonal treatment focuses on the patient and demonstrated to be the strongest predictor in patient satisfaction, it is noteworthy to consider the emphasis that should be placed on patient-centered care. In addition, knowing important variables positively affecting patient satisfaction provides useful information for developing appropriate interventions to improve AAM health care experiences.