Over 115K Hispanics Expected to be Diagnosed with Cancer in 2012

According to the US Census Bureau, 50.5 million Americans identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino in 2010. Hispanics are the largest, fastest-growing, and youngest minority group in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010 the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, four times the growth of the total population. In 2010, 30 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. were younger than 15 years, compared to 19 percent of non-Hispanics.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 53,600 new cancer cases in men and 59,200 cases in women are expected to be diagnosed among Hispanics in 2012 and prostate cancer is expected to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and breast cancer the most common in women.

An estimated 15,400 Hispanic men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012. An estimated 1,600 deaths from prostate cancer are expected among Hispanic men in 2012, making prostate cancer the fourth-leading cause of cancer death.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Hispanic women; an estimated 17,100 Hispanic women are expected to be diagnosed in 2012. An estimated 2,400 deaths from breast cancer are expected to occur among Hispanic women in 2012. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. During the period from 2000 to 2009, breast cancer death rates decreased by 1.6% per year among Hispanic women and by 2.0% per year among non-Hispanic white women.

In the US, the incidence and mortality rates of cancers of the stomach, liver, and uterine cervix are higher among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites, especially among first-generation immigrants.

It is estimated that about 2,500 Hispanic children (ages 0-14 years) in the US will be diagnosed with cancer in 2012, accounting for about 2.2 percent of the total cancer cases in Hispanics. In contrast, childhood cancer accounts for 0.7 percent of new cancer cases in the total U.S. population.

Childhood cancer is the second leading cause of death among both Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children (ages 1-14 years). Among adolescents (ages 15-19 years), cancer is the fourth-leading cause of death among Hispanics and the third-leading cause among non-Hispanic whites. It is estimated that about 400 Hispanic children will die from cancer in 2012.

According to the report, Hispanics are the least likely to have health insurance of any racial or ethnic group and are also almost half as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have a usual source of care.

Risk factors for cancer includes tobacco use, obesity, and alcohol use.