Colorectal Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity

The rate of people getting colorectal cancer or dying from colorectal cancer varies by race and ethnicity.

Rate of Colorectal Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

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

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

Colorectal 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 Colorectal Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

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

Colorectal 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.