Breast Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity

The rate of women getting breast cancer or dying from breast cancer varies by race and ethnicity.

Incidence of Breast Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

"Incidence rate" means how many women out of a given number get the disease each year. The graph below shows how many women out of 100,000 got breast cancer each year during the years 1975–2005. The year 2005 is the most recent year for which numbers have been reported. The breast cancer incidence rate is grouped by race and ethnicity.

For example, you can see that white women had the highest incidence rate for breast cancer. Black women had the second highest incidence of getting breast cancer, followed by American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women.

Female Breast Cancer
SEER Incidence Rates* by Race and Ethnicity, U.S., 1975–2005

Incidence source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute (NCI) 1975–1991 = SEER 9; 1992–2005 = SEER 13.
*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups - Census P25-1130).
†Rates for American Indians/Alaska Natives are based on the CHSDA (Contract Health Service Delivery Area) counties.
‡Hispanics are not mutually exclusive from whites, blacks, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives. Incidence data for Hispanics are based on NHIA and exclude cases from the Alaska Native Registry.

Deaths from Breast Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

From 1975–2005, the rate of women dying from breast cancer has varied, depending on women's race and ethnicity. The graph below shows that in 2005, black women were more likely to die of breast cancer than any other group. White women had the second highest rate of deaths from breast cancer, followed by women who are American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander.

Female Breast Cancer
U.S. Death Rates* by Race and Ethnicity, 1975–2005

Mortality source: U.S. Mortality Files, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.
*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups - Census P25-1130).
†Rates for American Indians/Alaska Natives are based on the CHSDA (Contract Health Service Delivery Area) counties.
‡Hispanics are not mutually exclusive from whites, blacks, Asians/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives. Mortality data for Hispanics do not include cases from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Vermont.