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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 in part to a lower life expectancy for both African American men and African American women.

In 2012, African American men were 1.3 times and 1.7 times, respectively, more likely to have new cases of lung and prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
African American men were 1.9 times as likely to have new cases of stomach cancer as non-Hispanic white men and 2.5 times more likely to die from stomach cancer.
African Americans men had lower 5-year cancer survival rates for all cancer sites as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
African American men are 2.3 times as likely to die from prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
In 2012, African American women just as likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were almost 40% more likely to die from breast cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
African American women are 2.1 times 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.

New Cases

**New Cancer Cases per 100,000 – Men (2012)**
Cancer	African American Men	Non-Hispanic White Men	African American/Non- HispanicWhite Ratio
All Sites	540.8	489.9	1.1
Colon and Rectum	55.5	42.2	1.3
Lung	80.6	61.4	1.3
Pancreas	15.8	14.8	1.1
Prostate	178.1	106.7	1.7
Stomach	14.6	7.8	1.9

**New Cancer Cases per 100,000 - Women (2012)**
Cancer	African American Women	Non-Hispanic White Women	African American/Non- Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites	403.2	433.2	0.9
Breast	130.0	136.5	1.0
Cervical	7.6	5.9	1.3
Colon and Rectum	41.0	33.5	1.2
Pancreas	15.0	11.0	1.4
Stomach	8.0	3.9	2.1

Source: CDC, 2016 Health United States, 2015. Table 26.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf [PDF | 13.02MB]

Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2009-2013)

**Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Men**
Cancer	African American Men	Non-Hispanic White Men	African American/Non- Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites	571.8	529.2	1.1
Colon & Rectum	59.2	46.7	1.3
Esophagus	7.2	8.3	0.9
Kidney & Renal Pelvis	25.0	22.2	1.1
Liver & IBD	16.4	10.1	1.6
Lung & Bronchus	87.3	72.7	1.2
Myeloma	15.7	7.7	2.0
Oral Cavity & Pharynx	14.4	18.8	0.8
Pancreas	17.2	14.4	1.2
Prostate	203.5	125.1	1.6
Stomach	14.0	8.3	1.7

Top Cancer Sites for African Americans (2009-2013)

**Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Women**
Cancer	African American Women	Non-Hispanic White Women	African American/Non- Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites	400.5	440.8	0.9
Breast	125.2	134.3	0.9
Cervical	8.9	7.0	1.3
Colon & Rectum	44.8	36.2	1.2
Kidney	12.8	10.9	1.2
Liver & IBD	4.9	3.3	1.5
Lung & Bronchus	50.0	56.2	0.9
Myeloma	11.5	4.4	2.6
Pancreas	14.2	10.9	1.3
Stomach	8.1	3.7	2.3

Source: NCI 2016. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2013. Tables 2.15 through 24.15
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2013/sections.html

5 Year Survival Rate

**Percent of Patients, Men (2006-2012)**
Cancer	African American Men	White Men	African American/ White Ratio
All Sites	63.8	67.4	0.9
Colon	55.7	65.6	0.8
Lung	12.0	15.1	0.8
Pancreas	6.6	7.6	0.9
Prostate	96.9	99.2	1.0
Stomach	25.6	27.4	0.9

**Percent of Patients – Women (2006-2012)**
Cancer	African American Women	White Women	African American/White Ratio
All Sites	57.9	67.6	0.9
Breast	80.3	90.8	0.9
Cervical	57.0	68.9	0.8
Colon	57.4	65.3	0.9
Pancreas	8.0	7.7	1.0

Source: NCI 2016. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2013. Tables 2.15 through 24.15
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2013/sections.html

Death Rate

**Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Men (2009-2013)**
Cancer	African American Men	Non-Hispanic White Men	African American/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites	254.2	207.2	1.2
Colon & Rectum	26.1	17.7	1.5
Lung	70.6	60.2	1.2
Pancreas	15.0	12.7	1.2
Prostate	44.2	19.2	2.3
Stomach	8.8	3.5	2.5

**Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Women (2009-2013)**
Cancer	African American Women	Non-Hispanic White Women	African American/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites	163.8	147.3	1.1
Breast	29.6	21.5	1.4
Cervical	3.9	2.0	2.0
Colon and Rectum	17.1	12.5	1.4
Pancreas	12.2	9.5	1.3
Stomach	4.2	1.8	2.3

Source: NCI 2016. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2013. Tables 1.21
http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2013/sections.html

Screening

Breast Cancer

**Percent of women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, 2013 (crude)**
Non-Hispanic Black Women	Non-Hispanic White Women	Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
67.2	67.6	1.0

Source: CDC 2016. Health United States, 2015. Table 70.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf [PDF | 15.02MB]

Cervical Cancer

**Percent of women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, 2013 (crude)**
Non-Hispanic Black Women	Non-Hispanic White Women	Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
75.1	68.4	1.1

Source: CDC 2016. Health United States, 2015. Table 71.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf [PDF | 15.02MB]

Colon Cancer

**Adults aged 50-75 who had any colorectal test or procedure, 2013**
Non-Hispanic Black	Non-Hispanic White	Non-Hispanic Black/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
58.2	60.4	1.0

Source: CDC 2016. Health United States, 2015. Table 72.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus15.pdf [PDF | 15.02MB]

Last Modified: 10/24/2016 10:26:00 AM

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