Rates for New Cancer Cases and Deaths by Race/Ethnicity and Sex

According to CDC's Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, life expectancy and overall health have improved for most Americans in recent years, but not all Americans have benefited equally. CDC and its partners monitor trends in cancer incidence (diagnosis) and mortality (deaths) to identify which groups are affected disproportionately.

Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of a disease and the related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups. Disparities affect many populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, residents of rural areas, women, children and adolescents, the elderly, and people with disabilities.¹

Incidence

Among U.S. men in 2007 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), black men were diagnosed with cancer most often, at a rate of 598.5 per 100,000. White men had the second highest incidence rate at 533.1 per 100,000, followed by Hispanic* men at 400.5, Asian/Pacific Islander men at 318.7, and American Indian/Alaska Native men at 290.0.²

Among U.S. women in 2007, white women were diagnosed with cancer most often at a rate of 412.5 per 100,000, followed by black women at 387.7, Hispanic* women at 318.3, Asian/Pacific Islander women at 276.2, and American Indian/Alaska Native women at 252.6.²

Deaths

Among U.S. men in 2007, black men died from cancer at a rate of 284.2 per 100,000, followed by white men at 215.2, Hispanic* men at 142.3, American Indian/Alaska Native men at 141.2, and Asian/Pacific Islander men at 131.4.²

Among women, black women had the highest death rate at 175.2 per 100,000, followed by white women at 150.6, American Indian/Alaska Native women at 103.1, Hispanic* women at 99.0, and Asian/Pacific Islander women at 90.9.²

Cancer Prevention

Some types of cancer can be prevented with a vaccine or found early through screening. Learn how to reduce your risk of getting these cancers by visiting Cancer Prevention.

Data Sources

¹National Cancer Institute. Health Disparities Defined. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.

²U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2007 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.

More Information

• Health Disparities in Cancer
• Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
• Eliminate Disparities in Cancer Screening and Management Fact Sheet
• National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
• National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
• National Program of Cancer Registries