Black/African Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers.1
- The statistics for Black/African American men and prostate cancer skew the most negative of any group; from 2018–2022, they were diagnosed 62% more often than the total population and died within 5 years 92% more often than the total population from 2019–2023.
- Black/African American women were diagnosed with stomach cancer 47% more often than the total population of American women from 2018–2022.
- Black/African American men had a five-year mortality rate for colorectal cancer that was 37% higher than the total population of American men from 2019–2023.
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Diagnosis
| Cancer among adults ages 18 and over, age-adjusted percentage, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Population |
| All Sites | 6.5 | 26.8 | 0.24 |
| Breast | 1.6 | 5.2 | 0.31 |
| Cervical (women) | 0.6 | 2.2 | 0.27 |
| Prostate (men) | 3.5 | 6.7 | 1.52 |
Top cancer sites for Black/African Americans (2022)
| Cancer Incidence among males, rate per 100,000 population, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Males | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Black Males / Total Population |
| All Sites | 533.0 | 483.5 | 1.10 |
| Colon & Rectum | 48.5 | 40.7 | 1.19 |
| Esophagus | 5.1 | 7.1 | 0.72 |
| Kidney | 25.9 | 23.8 | 1.09 |
| Liver & IBD | 16.0 | 13.9 | 1.15 |
| Lung | 65.2 | 53.1 | 1.23 |
| Oral Cavity & Pharynx | 12.9 | 17.4 | 0.74 |
| Pancreas | 17.9 | 15.5 | 1.15 |
| Prostate | 194.8 | 120.2 | 1.62 |
| Stomach | 13.0 | 9.2 | 1.41 |
| Cancer incidence among females, rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Females | Total Population Females | Non-Hispanic Black Females / Total Population |
| All Sites | 408.0 | 421.3 | 0.97 |
| Breast | 131.0 | 130.8 | 1.01 |
| Cervical | 8.4 | 7.7 | 1.09 |
| Colon & Rectum | 35.7 | 30.5 | 1.17 |
| Kidney | 13.2 | 12.0 | 1.10 |
| Liver & IBD | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.00 |
| Lung | 43.1 | 43.9 | 0.98 |
| Pancreas | 15.4 | 12.3 | 1.25 |
| Stomach | 8.4 | 5.7 | 1.47 |
| Uterus | 30.6 | 28.3 | 1.08 |
5-year survival rate
| 5-year survival rate among males by cancer site, percentage, 2015–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Males | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Population |
| All Sites | 68.1 | 68.7 | 0.99 |
| Colon & Rectum | 57.3 | 63.9 | 0.90 |
| Kidney | 76.1 | 76.8 | 0.99 |
| Liver & IBD | 19.6 | 21.7 | 0.90 |
| Lung | 21.4 | 23.8 | 0.90 |
| Pancreas | 10.7 | 13.1 | 0.82 |
| Prostate | 97.4 | 97.9 | 0.99 |
| Stomach | 34.1 | 34.2 | 1.00 |
| 5-year survival rate among females, percentage, 2015-2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Females | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Population |
| All Sites | 64.0 | 71.2 | 0.90 |
| Breast | 84.3 | 91.7 | 0.92 |
| Cervical | 59.0 | 68.0 | 0.87 |
| Colon & Rectum | 61.4 | 65.4 | 0.94 |
| Kidney | 79.7 | 81.4 | 0.98 |
| Liver & IBD | 23.3 | 22.8 | 1.02 |
| Lung | 29.9 | 32.6 | 0.92 |
| Pancreas | 13.1 | 13.5 | 0.97 |
| Stomach | 46.3 | 43.2 | 1.07 |
| Uterus | 62.8 | 81.1 | 0.77 |
Death rates
| 5-year mortality among males, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2019–2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Males | Total Male Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Male Population |
| All Sites | 203.6 | 171.5 | 1.19 |
| Colon & Rectum | 21.0 | 15.3 | 1.37 |
| Liver & IBD | 12.0 | 9.4 | 1.27 |
| Lung | 44.5 | 37.2 | 1.20 |
| Pancreas | 15.1 | 12.9 | 1.17 |
| Prostate | 36.9 | 19.2 | 1.92 |
| Stomach | 6.4 | 3.5 | 1.83 |
| 5-year mortality among females, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2019–2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Black Females | Total Female Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Female Population |
| All Sites | 143.7 | 126.3 | 1.14 |
| Breast | 26.5 | 19.2 | 1.38 |
| Cervical | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.41 |
| Colon & Rectum | 13.4 | 10.8 | 1.24 |
| Liver & IBD | 4.6 | 4.3 | 1.07 |
| Pancreas | 12.3 | 9.9 | 1.24 |
| Stomach | 3.2 | 2 | 1.60 |
| Uterus | 9.8 | 5.3 | 1.85 |
Screening
Breast cancer
| Females aged 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, percentage, 2019 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Black Females | Total Female Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Female Population |
| 85.6 | 79.8 | 1.07 |
Cervical cancer
| Percent of females aged 21 to 65 years received a cervical cancer screening based on the most recent guidelines in 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Black Females | Total Female Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Population Ratio |
| 72.9 | 73.9 | 0.99 |
Colorectal cancer
| Percent of adults aged 45 to 75 years received a colorectal cancer screening based on the most recent guidelines in 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Black | Total Population | Non-Hispanic Black / Total Population |
| 64.8 | 63.5 | 1.02 |
1SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2024 Apr 17. (Back to top)
Date Last Reviewed: September 2025