The Facts About Cancer and African Americans

Cancer is the second leading cause of death for African Americans, surpassed only by heart disease.  In general, African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for most cancers. The causes of the inequalities are complex and interrelated but likely arise from socioeconomic disparities in work, wealth, income, education, housing and overall standard of living, economic and social barriers to high quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services, and the impact of racial discrimination on all of these factors.

Although the racial disparity has decreased over the last 10 years, in 2003 the death rate for all cancers combined continued to be 35% higher in African-American men and 18% higher in African-American women than in white men and women.

The most commonly diagnosed cancers among African American men are prostate (37%), lung (15%), and colon (9%). Among African-American women the most common cancers are breast (27%), lung (15%)    and colon (13%).

Source: American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans 2007-2008