Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People

The Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People 2022-2024 report is an educational companion for “Cancer Statistics for African American/Black People, 2022,” a scientific paper published in the American Cancer Society flagship journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

For most types of cancer, Black people have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.

Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women.

That statistic is even more striking because fewer Black women are diagnosed with breast cancer than White women.

This Facts & Figures report provides current statistics about cancer in African American/Black people in the United States and includes data about risk factors, incidence, survival, and mortality rates as well as trends by age, state of residence, and race and ethnicity.

For a short summary, see the news story: More Black Women Die from Breast Cancer Than Any Other Cancer

Download the PDF

The American Cancer Society (ACS) believes everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. That belief guides the ACS to conduct and support research to help understand cancer inequalities and create strategies for overcoming them.

Citations, Credits, & Permissions

Suggested citation: Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People 2022-2024. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Inc. 2022.

Please note that any reproduction or re-use of this publication or portions of it should credit the appropriate edition of the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People publication. See the PDF contents page for more copyright info and permissions for use.

Glossary for Nonscientists

Featured Term:
African American/Black

People in the United States who can trace their lineage to Africa. Some Black people do not identify as African American. The Black lineage contains many histories, cultures, and experiences, including Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino populations.

Cancer Facts & Figures for African American/Black People

For most types of cancer, Black people have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.

Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women.

That statistic is even more striking because fewer Black women are diagnosed with breast cancer than White women.