Racial disparities in cancer incidence and mortality: Wisconsin and United States, 1996-2000.

These findings focus on African American-white disparities in cancer incidence and mortality between 1996 and 2000 in Wisconsin and the United States. Cancer incidence data were obtained from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System (WCRS), the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Results of this study highlight site-specific differences in cancer incidence and mortality rates age adjusted to the 2000 US standard population. Incidence and mortality rate ratios (RR) were calculated comparing African American and white populations. Supplemental variables of cancer-related risk behaviors from the Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and stage of disease at diagnosis information from WCRS were also examined for differences between African American and white populations. Results showed Wisconsin had an overall greater disparity than the United States for all cancers combined and for cancers of the lung, cervix, and gastrointestinal sites. During the 5-year period, Wisconsin's overall cancer mortality rate was 196 per 100,000, but among African Americans in Wisconsin, the overall mortality rate was 272 per 100,000.