Comparing Colorectal Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

The rate of people getting colorectal cancer or dying from colorectal cancer varies by race and ethnicity.

Rate of Colorectal Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

"Incidence rate" means how many people out of a given number get the disease each year. The graph below shows how many people out of 100,000 got colorectal cancer each year during the years 1975–2004. The year 2004 is the most recent year for which numbers have been reported. The colorectal cancer incidence rate is grouped by race and ethnicity.

For example, you can see that black people had the highest incidence rate for colorectal cancer. White people had the second highest incidence of getting colorectal cancer, followed by Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native people.

Colorectal Cancer
SEER Incidence Rates^† by Race and Ethnicity, U.S., 1975–2004^‡

*The group, or category, called "Hispanic" may be included in other categories like White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander (Asian/PI).
^†Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
^‡Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, NCI

Deaths from Colorectal Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

From 1969–2004, the rate of people dying from colorectal cancer has varied, depending on their race and ethnicity. The graph below shows that in 2004, black people were more likely to die of colorectal cancer than any other group. White people had the second highest rate of deaths from colorectal cancer, followed by people who are Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander.

Colorectal Cancer
U.S. Death Rates^† by Race and Ethnicity, 1969–2004^‡

*The group, or category, called "Hispanic" may be included in other categories like White, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and Asian/Pacific Islander (Asian/PI).
^†Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
^‡Source: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)