Incidence

In 2007, 19,592 Coloradans were diagnosed with cancer. Colorado continues to have lower incidence and mortality rates of cancer than the nation. The Colorado Cancer Plan relies on the Colorado Central Cancer Registry for incidence information.

The cancer incidence rates for Colorado and the nation have been decreasing since 1992. The population of Colorado has been getting older, with a median age of 26.2 in 1970, 32.5 in 1990, 34.3 years in 2000 and 35.8 in 2008. Among men and women, men have a higher incidence of cancer (512.9/100,000) than women (388.5/100,000). The incidence of lung cancer in Colorado males is more than 30% higher than that of females.

Among racial groups from 2002-06, non-Hispanic white men had the highest cancer incidence rate, followed in order by black men, white Hispanic men, white non-Hispanic women, white Hispanic women and black women.

The incidence of cervical cancer in Hispanic women was nearly twice that for white non-Hispanic women and 22% higher than that for black women.

Across groups, the lung cancer incidence rate in black males was 1.8 times the rate for black women, and the lung cancer incidence rate for Hispanic men was 5 times the rate for Hispanic women.

The incidence or prostate cancer in black men was 28% higher than the rate for non-Hispanic whites and 50% higher than the rate for Hispanics.

Colorectal cancer was diagnosed in Hispanic men almost 50% more often than in Hispanic women and 24% more often than in non-Hispanic white men.

Incidence for American Indian (AI) relys on national incidence data. More than half of the Colorado AI population is from Northern and Southern Plains, rates of breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancers remain high in these populations.