Incidence and Survival of Colorectal Cancer Among Hispanics in the United States: A Population-Based Study

Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States (US).

We evaluated the incidence and survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) among this population.

Data from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program were used to calculate CRC age-adjusted and age-specific incidence rates in Hispanics during 1993–2007. Temporal trends in CRC incidence were examined using annual percent change (APC) and Poisson regression. The 1- and 5-year survival rates were calculated.

The annual age-adjusted incidence rates for CRC in Hispanics of all ages declined from 47.4 per 100,000 in 1993–1997 to 43.8 per 100,000 in 2003–2007, with an APC during 1993–2007 equal to −0.8/year. However, there was a 45 % increase in CRC incidence among Hispanic men and women aged 20–49 years that affected both the right and left colon. The proportions of CRC cases with regional (+37 %) and distant (+18 %) spread increased, now constituting 72 % of cases diagnosed at that age. The Poisson model confirmed the increasing CRC incidence in Hispanics aged 20–49 years during 1993–2007 while adjusting for sex and geographic region. The 1-year survival improved in younger Hispanics from approximately 86 % in 1993–1997 to 91 % in 2003–2007 with no significant improvement in 5-year survival. In Hispanics aged >50 years, no significant improvements in survival were observed.

The incidence of CRC in young Hispanic men and women has increased in the US. Most are diagnosed with regional or distant disease. No significant improvement in long-term survival was observed in young Hispanics with CRC.