Fact Sheet

U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality

Major incidence findings*:

• Prostate cancer is the leading cancer affecting all men, followed by lung cancer and colorectal cancer;
• Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women;
• Among white women, lung cancer is the second most common cancer and colorectal is the third most common cancer. Among black, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women, colorectal cancer and lung cancer are the second and third most common cancers, respectively.

Major mortality findings:

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among all men; prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among white, black and Hispanic men. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Asian/Pacific Islander men.
• Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among white, black and Hispanic men, whereas liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among Asian/Pacific Islander men.
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among white, black, and Asian/Pacific Islander women and the second leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women.
• Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women and the second leading cause of cancer death among white, black and Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among children.

Racial and ethnic differences in cancer incidence and mortality

• Overall, cancer incidence and death rates are highest among black men, followed by white, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander men.
• Cancer incidence rates are highest for white women, followed by black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• Cancer death rates are highest among black women, followed by white, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women.

Mesothelioma and Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Mesothelioma is a cancer that generally occurs in the chest, abdominal region, or areas surrounding the heart. It is typically associated with exposure to asbestos, which has been documented in as many as 70 percent to 80 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissues such as cartilage, bone, fat, muscle, and blood vessels. The vast majority of Kaposi’s sarcoma cases have developed in association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

• Mesothelioma and Kaposi’s sarcoma primarily affect men.
• White men and women are more often affected by mesothelioma than are black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic men and women.
• For men aged 35-44, the rate of Kaposi’s sarcoma is 1.6 times higher among black men compared to Hispanic men, and 3 times higher among black men compared to white men.

*Major incidence findings include invasive cancers, along with in situ bladder cancer.

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This page last updated November 19, 2004
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/fs041119.htm

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