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Cancer and African Americans

African Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers. Death rates for all major causes of death are higher for African Americans than for whites, contributing to a lower life expectancy for both African American men and African American women.

  • In 2005, African American men were 1.3 times as likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
  • African American men were twice as likely to have new cases of stomach cancer as non-Hispanic white men.
  • African Americans men had lower 5-year cancer survival rates for lung and pancreatic cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
  • In 2005, African American men were 2.4 times as likely to die from prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
  • In 2005, African American women were 10% less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were 34% more likely to die from breast cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
  • African American women are twice as likely to have been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and they are 2.4 times as likely to die from stomach cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.

At a glance – New Cases:

New Cancer Cases per 100,000 – Men (2005)

Cancer

All Men

African
American
Men

Non-Hispanic
White Men

African
American/Non-
Hispanic White
Ratio

All Sites

510.1

587.6

538.0

1.1

Stomach

11.0

16.6

8.5

2.0

Lung

68.7

93.6

72.2

1.3

Prostate

147.1

220.3

145.3

1.5

Pancreas

13.0

16.8

13.0

1.3

Colon and Rectum

52.8

62.7

53.7

1.2

 


New Cancer Cases per 100,000 – Women (2005)


Cancer

All Women

African
American
Women

Non-Hispanic
White Women

African
American/Non-
Hispanic White
Ratio

All Sites

396.7

394.9

430.1

0.9

Stomach

5.5

7.7

3.6

2.1

Cervical

7.7

8.7

6.2

1.4

Pancreas

10.3

15.3

10.1

1.5

Colon and Rectum

40.3

51.4

40.6

1.3

Breast

121.5

113.9

133.6

0.9

Source:  CDC, 2008. Health United States, 2008. Table 52.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf [PDF | 12.2MB]


At a glance – Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2001-2005):

Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Men

Cancer

All Men

African
American
Men

Non-Hispanic
White Men

African
American/Non-
Hispanic White
Ratio

All Sites

549.3

651.5

568.3

1.1

Prostate

163.0

248.5

161.5

1.5

Lung & Bronchus

79.4

107.6

79.5

1.4

Colon & Rectum

59.2

71.2

59.5

1.2

Oral Cavity & Pharynx

15.5

17.2

16.6

1.0

Stomach

11.3

17.4

9.3

1.9

Kidney & Renal Pelvis

18.3

21.3

18.8

1.1

Pancreas

13.0

16.2

13.3

1.2

Larynx

6.4

10.9

6.2

1.8

Esophagus

7.8

9.9

8.3

1.2

Liver & IBD

9.9

13.2

7.3

1.8

 

At a glance – Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2001-2005):

Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Women

Cancer

All Women

African
American
Women

Non-Hispanic
White Women

African
American/Non-
Hispanic White
Ratio

All Sites

411.0

398.9

439.7

0.9

Breast

126.1

117.5

138.2

1.0

Colon & Rectum

43.8

54.5

43.8

1.2

Lung & Bronchus

52.6

54.6

57.3

1.0

Pancreas

10.3

14.3

10.1

1.4

Cervix

8.4

10.8

7.0

1.5

Stomach

5.5

8.9

4.0

2.2

Kidney

9.2

10.1

9.3

1.1

Source:  NCI 2008.  Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2005.  Tables I-20 4 - I-28, and II-10 to XIVII-12.
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/results_merged/topic_race_ethnicity.pdf [PDF | 1.2MB]


At a glance – 5 Year Survival Rate:

Percent of Patients, Men (1996-2004)

Cancer

African American
Men

White Men

African
American/
White Ratio

All Sites

59.8

67.2

0.9

Stomach

22.6

21.2

1.1

Lung

11.0

13.7

0.8

Prostate

95.9

99.4

1.0

Pancreas

3.2

5.4

0.6

Colon

55.5

66.3

0.8

 


Percent of Patients – Women (1996-2004)


Cancer

African American
Women

White Women

African
American/White Ratio

All Sites

54.9

67.7

0.8

Cervical

65.3

73.7

0.9

Pancreas

6.0

4.5

1.3

Colon

54.6

65.7

0.8

Breast

77.8

90.5

0.9

Source:  CDC, 2008. Health United States, 2008. Table 53
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf [PDF | 12.2MB]


At a glance – Death Rate:

Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Men (2001-2005)

Cancer

African American
Men

Non-Hispanic White Men

African American/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

All Sites

313.0

235.6

1.3

Stomach

11.5

4.7

2.4

Lung

93.1

74.2

1.3

Prostate

59.4

24.6

2.4

Pancreas

15.4

12.3

1.3

Colon & Rectum

31.8

22.5

1.4

 

Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Women (2001-2005)

Cancer

African American
Women

Non-Hispanic White Women

African American/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

All Sites

186.7

163.0

1.1

Stomach

5.5

2.3

2.4

Cervical

4.7

2.2

2.1

Pancreas

12.4

9.1

1.4

Colon and Rectum

22.4

15.6

1.4

Breast

33.5

25.0

1.3

Source:  NCI 2008.  Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2005.  Table I-20.
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/results_merged/topic_race_ethnicity.pdf [PDF | 1.2MB]

 

At a Glance – Screening:

Breast Cancer

Percent of women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, 2005(age-adjusted)

Non-Hispanic Black Women

Non-Hispanic White Women

Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

64.7

68.2

0.9

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 1A_b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html

Cervical Cancer

Percent of women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, 2005 (age-adjusted)

Non-Hispanic Black Women

Non-Hispanic White Women

Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

80.2

79.1

1.0

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 3b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html

Colon Cancer

Percent of men and women age 50 and over who report they ever received a colonoscopy, 2005 (age-adjusted)

Non-Hispanic Black

Non-Hispanic White

Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

42.4

52.9

0.8

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 6b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html

Percent of men and women age 50 and over who report they had a fecal occult blood test within the past 2 years, 2005 (age-adjusted)

Non-Hispanic Black

Non-Hispanic White

Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio

15.7

17.9

0.9

Source:   2007 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Table 7b.
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr07/index.html


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Content Last Modified: 4/1/2009 3:31:00 PM
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