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GYNECOLOGIC CANCER CASES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY

New Cases of Gynecologic Cancers by Race and Ethnicity

The Pap test and HPV vaccine can help prevent cervical cancer.

Chart: Rate of New Gynecologic Cancer Cases by Race and Ethnicity: United States. Incidence rate per 100,000. All races: 47.5; White: 48.1; Black: 43.5; Asian/Pacific Islander: 32.5; American Indian/Alaska Native: 29.7; Hispanic: 45.1.

Five main types of cancer affect a woman's reproductive organs: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. As a group, they are referred to as gynecologic cancers. (A sixth type of gynecologic cancer is the very rare fallopian tube cancer.)

In 2005 (the most recent year for which numbers are available), 75,144 women in the United States were told that they had a gynecologic cancer, and 27,259 women died from it.*

The rates of new cases (the number of new cases per 100,000 women) and deaths for specific kinds of gynecologic cancer in the U.S. in 2005 were--

  • All gynecologic cancers: 47.5 new cases per 100,000 women and 16.0 deaths per 100,000 women
  • Cervical cancer: 8.1 new cases per 100,000 women and 2.4 deaths per 100,000 women
  • Ovarian cancer: 12.4 new cases per 100,000 women and 8.6 deaths per 100,000 women
  • Uterine cancer: 23.4 new cases per 100,000 women and 4.1 deaths per 100,000 women
  • Vaginal cancer: 0.6 new cases per 100,000 women and 0.2 deaths per 100,000 women
  • Vulvar cancer: 2.3 new cases per 100,000 women and 0.4 deaths per 100,000 women

The rate of new gynecologic cancer cases per 100,000 women in the United States varies by race and ethnicity. In 2005, the rate for different kinds of gynecologic cancers was--

  • All gynecologic cancers: white (48.1 per 100,000 white women), Hispanic† (45.1), black (43.5), Asian/Pacific Islander (32.5), American Indian/Alaska Native (29.7)
  • Cervical cancer: Hispanic† (12.4), black (10.3), white (7.7), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4), American Indian/Alaska Native (6.2)
  • Ovarian cancer: white (12.9), Hispanic† (10.9), black (9.3), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.7), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.0)
  • Uterine cancer: white (23.9), black (20.6), Hispanic+ (18.9), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.9), American Indian/Alaska Native (14.5)
  • Vaginal cancer**: black (1.0), white and Hispanic+ (0.6), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3)
  • Vulvar cancer**: white (2.4), black (1.7), Hispanic+ (1.6), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7)

Data source:

U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999-2005 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2009. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.

*Incidence counts cover approximately 96% of the U.S. population. Death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts.

**Rates are suppressed since fewer than 16 cases were reported for American Indian/Alaska Native.

+Hispanic origin is not mutually exclusive from race categories (white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native).

Prevention

All women are at risk for gynecologic cancers, and risk increases with age. When gynecologic cancers are found early, treatment can be most effective.

Cervical Cancer Screening (Pap Test). The median age for diagnosis with cervical cancer is 47 years. Most cervical cancers can be prevented by regular screening. It is important to be screened for cervical cancer because 6 of 10 cervical cancers occur in women who have never received a Pap test or have not been screened in the past five years.

The Pap test screens for cervical cancer only. There are no recommended screening tests for the other gynecologic cancers.

HPV Vaccine. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that can be passed from one person to another during sex, is the main cause of cervical cancer and also causes some vaginal and vulvar cancers. If you are 11 to 26 years old, you can help prevent cervical cancer by getting the HPV vaccine.

 

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