American Indian/Alaska Native adults have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population. However, disparities exist in certain types of cancer.
- American Indian/Alaska Native males were more than twice as likely to have liver and intrahepatic bile duct (IBD) cancer than non-Hispanic white males.1
- American Indian/Alaska Native males were almost twice as likely to have, and more than twice as likely to die from, stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white males.1
- American Indian/Alaska Native females were 2.7 times more likely to have, and 2.3 times as likely to die from, liver and IBD cancer than non-Hispanic white females.1
- American Indian/Alaska Native females were more than twice as likely to have and nearly three times as likely to die from stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white females.1
Diagnosis
| Cancer among adults age 18 and over, age-adjusted percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | American Indian or Alaska Native only | Non-Hispanic White | American Indian or Alaska Native only / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 4.6 | 13.0 | 0.3 |
| Breast | 0.6 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Cervical (women) | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Prostate (men) | 0.7 | 3.0 | 0.2 |
| Any skin | 0.5 | 5.3 | 0.1 |
Top Cancer Sites for American Indians/Alaska Natives (2017–2021)
| Cancer Incidence among males, rate per 100,000 population, 2017–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 442.2 | 510.7 | 0.9 |
| Colon & Rectum | 53.6 | 42.0 | 1.3 |
| Esophagus | 9.0 | 8.3 | 1.1 |
| Kidney | 39.1 | 22.9 | 1.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 25.1 | 11.2 | 2.2 |
| Lung | 53.8 | 60.0 | 0.9 |
| Oral Cavity & Pharynx | 18.0 | 20.1 | 0.9 |
| Pancreas | 15.3 | 16.0 | 1.0 |
| Prostate | 76.7 | 114.9 | 0.7 |
| Stomach | 14.6 | 7.5 | 1.9 |
Top Cancer Sites for American Indians/Alaska Natives (2017–2021)
| Cancer incidence among females, rate per 100,000 population, 2017–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 421.1 | 447.0 | 0.9 |
| Breast | 113.0 | 139.0 | 0.8 |
| Cervical | 9.2 | 6.9 | 1.3 |
| Colon & Rectum | 45.5 | 32.4 | 1.4 |
| Kidney | 19.6 | 11.1 | 1.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 11.5 | 4.3 | 2.7 |
| Lung | 46.0 | 52.2 | 0.9 |
| Pancreas | 11.0 | 11.9 | 0.9 |
| Stomach | 8.3 | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| Uterus | 29.1 | 27.7 | 1.1 |
5-Year Survival Rate
| 5-year survival rate among males by cancer site, percentage, 2014–2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 56.5 | 68.7 | 0.8 |
| Colon & Rectum | 63.3 | 65.2 | 1.0 |
| Kidney | 75.4 | 79.0 | 1.0 |
| Liver & IBD | 16.8 | 20.5 | 0.8 |
| Lung | 16.7 | 22.6 | 0.7 |
| Pancreas | 6.5 | 12.8 | 0.5 |
| Prostate | 92.5 | 98.0 | 0.9 |
| Stomach | 13.1 | 32.6 | 0.4 |
| 5-year survival rate among females, percentage, 2014–2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 65.7 | 71.3 | 0.9 |
| Breast | 87.7 | 93.0 | 0.9 |
| Cervical | 71.7 | 67.8 | 1.1 |
| Colon & Rectum | 65.3 | 66.1 | 1.0 |
| Kidney | 80.6 | 80.9 | 1.0 |
| Liver & IBD | 20..4 | 21.1 | 1.0 |
| Lung | 27.5 | 30.8 | 0.9 |
| Pancreas | 8.8 | 12.3 | 0.7 |
| Stomach | 25.6 | 44.1 | 0.6 |
| Uterus | 81.4 | 84.2 | 1.0 |
Death Rate
| 5-year mortality among males, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 185.8 | 179.0 | 1.0 |
| Colon & Rectum | 20.9 | 15.2 | 1.4 |
| Liver & IBD | 16.7 | 8.4 | 2.0 |
| Lung | 37.0 | 41.2 | 0.9 |
| Pancreas | 11.5 | 13.2 | 0.9 |
| Prostate | 19.4 | 18.1 | 1.1 |
| Stomach | 7.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| 5-year mortality among females, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 140.9 | 131.0 | 1.1 |
| Breast | 17.8 | 19.4 | 0.9 |
| Cervical | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| Colon & Rectum | 14.5 | 10.9 | 1.3 |
| Liver & IBD | 8.7 | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Pancreas | 9.8 | 9.8 | 1.0 |
| Stomach | 4.0 | 1.4 | 2.9 |
| Uterus | 4.7 | 4.7 | 1.0 |
Screening
Breast Cancer
| Women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, percentage, 2019 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 54.2 | 69.4 | 0.8 |
Cervical Cancer
| Women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, percentage, 2018 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 58.6 | 63.7 | 0.9 |
Colorectal Cancer
| Adults ages 50–75 who received any type of colorectal cancer screening, percentage, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 61.7 | 74.2 | 0.8 |
1 SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2024 Apr 17. (Back to top)
Date Last Reviewed: February 2025