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Cancer and American Indians/Alaska Natives

American Indian/Alaska Native men and women have some lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population. However, disparities still exist in certain types of cancer.

  • From 2014-2018, American Indian/Alaska Native men were almost twice as likely to have liver & IBD* cancer as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
  • American Indian/Alaska Native men are 30 percent more likely to have stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white men and are over twice as likely to die from the same disease.
  • American Indian/Alaska Native women are 2.3 times more likely to have, and 2.2 times as likely to die from, liver & IBD cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
  • American Indian/Alaska Native women are 20 percent more likely to have kidney/renal pelvis cancer than non-Hispanic white women.

Diagnosis

Age-adjusted percentages of cancer among adults aged 18 and over, 2019
Cancer American Indian/Alaska Native Non-Hispanic White American Indian/Alaska Native/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites 15.6 12.4 1.3
Breast (women) 1.8 2.0 0.9
Cervical (women) -- 1.4 --
Prostate (men)  -- 2.8 --

Source: NCHS 2021. National Health Interview Survey. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults – 2019. [Accessed 7/22/2021]
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/index.html

 

Top Cancer Sites for American Indian/Alaska Natives (2014-2018)

Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Men
Cancer American Indian/Alaska Native Men Non-Hispanic White Men American Indian/Alaska Native/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites 326.7 520.4 0.7
Colon & Rectum 39.6 42.2 0.9
Esophagus 6.4 8.5 0.8
Kidney 24.2 24.2 1.0
Liver & IBD 21.7 11.3 1.9
Lung 40.9 60.7 0.7
Oral Cavity & Pharynx 12.2 20.2 0.6
Pancreas 13.4 16.3 0.8
Prostate 53.1 118.9 0.4
Stomach 10.1 7.7 1.3

*IBD = Intrahepatic Bile Duct

Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.24 and SEER*Explorer [ Accessed 7/22/2021].
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/; https://seer.cancer.gov/explorer/

 

Top Cancer Sites for American Indian/Alaska Natives (2014-2018)

Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Women
Cancer American Indian/Alaska Native Women Non-Hispanic White Women American Indian/Alaska Native/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites 311.1 460.2 0.7
Breast 81.7 137.9 0.6
Cervical 7.6 6.7 1.1
Colon & Rectum 37.5 32.7 1.1
Kidney 14.0 11.7 1.2
Liver & IBD 8.6 4.0 2.2
Lung 35.5 53.9 0.7
Pancreas 8.2 11.9 0.8
Stomach 5.8 3.8 1.5
Uterus 20.0 28.7 0.7

Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.25 and SEER*Explorer [ Accessed 7/22/2021].
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/; https://seer.cancer.gov/explorer/

 

5 Year Survival Rate

Not available at this time.

 

Death Rate

Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Men (2014-2018)
Cancer American Indian/Alaska Native Men Non-Hispanic White Men American Indian/Alaska Native/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites 169.3 190.2 0.9
Colon & Rectum 18.5 16.1 1.1
Kidney 8.3 5.5 1.5
Liver & IBD 14.8 8.4 1.8
Lung 38.4 49.4 0.8
Prostate 18.5 17.9 1.0
Stomach 6.3 3.1 2.0

Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.20
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/sections.html

 

Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Women (2014-2018)
Cancer American Indian/Alaska Native Women Non-Hispanic White Women American Indian/Alaska Native/Non-Hispanic White Ratio
All Sites 120.1 137.8 0.9
Breast 14.8 20.1 0.7
Cervical 2.4 2.0 1.2
Colon & Rectum 12.4 11.5 1.1
Kidney 3.2 2.3 1.4
Liver & IBD 7.0 3.6 1.9
Lung 27.4 35.6 0.8
Stomach 3.5 1.6 2.0
Uterus 3.5 4.5 0.8

Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.20
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/sections.html

 

Screening

Breast Cancer

Percentage of women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, 2018 (crude)
American Indian/Alaska Native Women Non-Hispanic White Women American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
65.3 68.0 1.0

Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 33.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]

 

Cervical Cancer

Percentage of women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, 2018 (crude)
American Indian/Alaska Native Women Non-Hispanic White Women American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
58.6 63.7 0.9

Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 34.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]

 

Colon Cancer

Adults aged 50-75 who had any colorectal test or procedure, 2018
American Indian/Alaska Native Non-Hispanic White Women American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio
46.1 64.0 0.7

Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 35.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]

 
Last Modified: 8/26/2021 1:19:00 PM

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