Chronic Disease - Burden of Chronic Diseases 2004 - The Burden of Colorectal Cancer

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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Section II

The Burden of Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer, and Diabetes, United States

NOTE: This document is provided for historical purposes only.

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Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, those who accounting for 10% of all cancer deaths. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with age. Adults who are aged 50 or older, have inflammatory bowel disease, those who are overweight or physically inactive and those who have a personal or family history of colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer are at higher risk. Additionally, low fruit and vegetable intake, a low-fiber diet, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use may contribute to a person’s risk for colorectal cancer. Three screening tools—fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy—are commonly used to detect colorectal cancer in its early stages, when treatment is most likely to be effective.

In 2001, the rate of death from colorectal cancer was 41% higher among men than women.
The rate of death from colorectal cancer is highest among African Americans and lowest among Asians and Pacific Islanders.
In 2001, 44% of Americans aged 50 and older reported ever having had a fecal occult blood test, and 47% reported ever having had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 56,700 Americans will die of colorectal cancer in 2004.
Routine screening for colorectal cancer, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, can reduce the number of people who die of this disease by at least 30%.

Colorectal Cancer: 2001 Death Rate*

Colorectal Cancer: 2001 Death Rate

^* Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population. ICD–10 codes: C18–C20, C26.0.

[A text description of this map is also available.]

Deaths Due to Colorectal Cancer, by Sex, 2001

State	Total		Male		Female
	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*

ALABAMA	873	19.0	432	23.4	441	16.1
ALASKA	78	22.3	46	25.6	32	19.1
ARIZONA	887	16.9	441	19.2	446	15.0
ARKANSAS	641	21.9	319	26.1	322	18.8
CALIFORNIA	5254	17.6	2626	20.7	2628	15.2
COLORADO	621	17.4	309	20.2	312	15.2
CONNECTICUT	725	18.9	327	21.3	398	17.0
DELAWARE	163	20.1	79	22.6	84	17.6
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	149	26.4	67	31.6	82	23.9
FLORIDA	3851	18.3	1998	21.8	1853	15.4
GEORGIA	1344	19.9	637	23.1	707	17.7
HAWAII	215	16.6	127	21.7	88	12.4
IDAHO	188	15.5	106	19.5	82	12.0
ILLINOIS	2722	22.4	1352	27.6	1370	18.7
INDIANA	1364	22.5	682	27.7	682	18.8
IOWA	740	21.1	348	25.0	392	18.6
KANSAS	581	20.2	289	24.7	292	16.7
KENTUCKY	912	22.4	439	26.2	473	19.6
LOUISIANA	956	23.0	514	30.3	442	18.0
MAINE	313	21.2	157	26.0	156	17.7
MARYLAND	1098	22.0	533	26.3	565	19.1
MASSACHUSETTS	1466	20.9	712	25.9	754	17.4
MICHIGAN	1894	19.2	931	22.8	963	16.6
MINNESOTA	872	17.6	414	20.5	458	15.5
MISSISSIPPI	602	21.9	309	27.9	293	18.0
MISSOURI	1293	21.5	647	26.6	646	18.0
MONTANA	183	18.5	105	24.5	78	13.7
NEBRASKA	379	20.1	167	22.0	212	18.2
NEVADA	388	21.8	217	25.9	171	18.0
NEW HAMPSHIRE	266	21.6	133	26.3	133	18.5
NEW JERSEY	2015	22.5	947	26.3	1068	19.7
NEW MEXICO	307	17.8	165	21.3	142	14.5
NEW YORK	4102	20.7	1946	24.8	2156	18.0
NORTH CAROLINA	1533	19.4	742	23.0	791	17.0
NORTH DAKOTA	156	20.8	78	24.9	78	17.6
OHIO	2641	22.1	1285	26.5	1356	18.9
OKLAHOMA	732	20.2	364	24.6	368	17.3
OREGON	694	19.1	373	24.2	321	15.2
PENNSYLVANIA	3374	22.6	1624	27.2	1750	19.4
RHODE ISLAND	251	20.7	105	22.5	146	20.0
SOUTH CAROLINA	816	20.6	426	26.1	390	16.8
SOUTH DAKOTA	179	20.6	102	28.5	77	14.8
TENNESSEE	1248	21.8	641	27.4	607	17.9
TEXAS	3276	18.9	1714	23.2	1562	15.5
UTAH	215	13.6	112	16.5	103	11.3
VERMONT	128	20.0	58	22.3	70	18.9
VIRGINIA	1348	20.3	672	24.7	676	17.4
WASHINGTON	1038	18.6	530	22.1	508	15.8
WEST VIRGINIA	508	23.7	249	28.4	259	20.2
WISCONSIN	1128	19.7	582	25.0	546	16.0
WYOMING	101	21.0	51	23.3	50	18.5


UNITED STATES	56808	20.1	28229	24.1	28579	17.1

* Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total US population.

Deaths Due to Colorectal Cancer, by Race and Ethnicity, 2001

State	White		Black		Asian/Pacific Islander		American Indian/Alaska Native		Hispanic
	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*	Number	Rate^*

ALABAMA	624	17.2	246	27.0	-	-	-	-	-	-
ALASKA	52	19.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ARIZONA	768	17.2	24	25.3	-	-	-	-	77	15.3
ARKANSAS	550	21.5	90	28.5	-	-	-	-	-	-
CALIFORNIA	3838	18.7	463	28.9	432	13.7	-	-	510	11.5
COLORADO	537	17.4	28	30.0	-	-	-	-	48	14.5
CONNECTICUT	666	19.2	44	22.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
DELAWARE	136	19.7	27	26.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	32	20.6	112	30.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
FLORIDA	3071	18.0	375	24.2	22	11.4	-	-	382	16.5
GEORGIA	919	18.0	408	28.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
HAWAII	41	12.5	-	-	163	17.9	-	-	-	-
IDAHO	182	15.6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ILLINOIS	2220	22.0	399	29.9	42	14.7	-	-	61	11.9
INDIANA	1236	22.1	114	31.6	-	-	-	-	-	-
IOWA	727	21.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
KANSAS	539	20.1	29	27.3	-	-	-	-	-	-
KENTUCKY	834	21.9	70	31.6	-	-	-	-	-	-
LOUISIANA	648	21.4	291	28.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
MAINE	309	21.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
MARYLAND	779	20.7	284	29.0	25	17.5	-	-	-	-
MASSACHUSETTS	1380	21.2	48	21.6	-	-	-	-	-	-
MICHIGAN	1623	18.8	245	23.9	-	-	-	-	-	-
MINNESOTA	845	17.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
MISSISSIPPI	370	18.8	228	30.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
MISSOURI	1131	20.7	148	32.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
MONTANA	167	17.5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
NEBRASKA	365	20.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
NEVADA	337	22.5	24	28.4	-	-	-	-	-	-
NEW HAMPSHIRE	263	21.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
NEW JERSEY	1682	22.9	227	27.4	-	-	-	-	86	15.6
NEW MEXICO	187	17.3	-	-	-	-	-	-	103	20.0
NEW YORK	3246	21.2	536	23.8	82	11.6	-	-	232	14.7
NORTH CAROLINA	1155	18.2	359	26.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
NORTH DAKOTA	152	20.8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OHIO	2307	21.4	314	31.7	-	-	-	-	-	-
OKLAHOMA	630	19.8	62	37.1	-	-	30	16.2	-	-
OREGON	658	19.1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
PENNSYLVANIA	3032	22.3	303	30.7	-	-	-	-	25	18.0
RHODE ISLAND	239	20.9	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SOUTH CAROLINA	573	19.2	241	26.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
SOUTH DAKOTA	170	20.3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
TENNESSEE	1009	20.2	231	35.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
TEXAS	2303	18.9	450	29.0	33	10.7	-	-	488	15.2
UTAH	196	13.2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
VERMONT	128	20.3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
VIRGINIA	1022	19.3	291	27.1	21	9.9	-	-	-	-
WASHINGTON	949	18.7	23	23.2	40	13.4	-	-	-	-
WEST VIRGINIA	483	23.4	22	38.6	-	-	-	-	-	-
WISCONSIN	1084	19.9	33	25.4	-	-	-	-	-	-
WYOMING	95	21.0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

UNITED STATES	46489	19.9	6859	28.0	1032	13.2	187	13.6	2241	13.9

* Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total US population. Dashes indicate too few deaths (20 or fewer) to calculate a stable estimate.

Page last reviewed: October 31, 2005
Page last modified: October 31, 2005
Archive Date: April 8, 2008

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion