2025 Cancer Trends for Black Americans
Spotlight on Cancer Trends & Tips to Reduce Your Risk
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., following heart disease, and while it poses a risk to everyone, Black individuals face higher mortality rates for most cancers and have the shortest survival times after diagnosis compared to other racial groups. The newest report on cancer trends issued by the American Cancer Society details some significant and persistent disparities in risks and outcomes across racial groups. Here is what the report reveals about differences in the four top cancers affecting women and men in the U.S.:
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males. Black men are almost 70% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime than white men and twice as likely to die from the disease.
Breast Cancer
Although white women have a higher incidence of breast cancer, the most common cancer among women, Black women experience a mortality rate nearly 41% higher. This disparity is partly due to a lower percentage of Black women vs. white women diagnosed at an early stage (58% compared to 68%), leading to more advanced disease at the time of detection. Additionally, Black women are more likely to develop more aggressive subtypes of the disease, such as triple-negative breast cancer, which are more challenging to treat.
Colorectal Cancer
Black individuals have the highest rate of new colorectal cancer cases compared to white people (20% higher). Death rates from colorectal cancer are 44% higher in Black men and 31% higher in Black women compared to white individuals.
Lung Cancer
More Americans die of lung cancer each year than of breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Despite those grim statistics, the number of new lung cancer cases overall, as well as deaths from lung cancer, continues to decrease, thanks to significant drops in the numbers of people who smoke, efforts toward early detection and advances in treatment. While Black women have lower rates of lung cancer than white women (nearly 16% lower), Black men are about 12% more likely to develop lung cancer than white men.
Understanding Disparities
Across all races, some cancers have a strong genetic component and some appear to run in families. Age, overall health, lifestyle and environmental factors also contribute to cancer risk.
Research has cited economic and social impacts as primary reasons for the higher impact of cancer among Black Americans—among them, limited access to quality healthcare, lower socioeconomic status and lack of health insurance, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.
The American Cancer Society’s report underscores the importance of ensuring equitable access to early detection and high-quality treatment for Black Americans.
Be Proactive. Have a Conversation. Get Screened.
One of the best ways individuals can begin to close the racial gap in cancer is by taking the time to prioritize health and well-being. Plan ahead and schedule appointments for recommended wellness checkups and cancer screenings. When detected early, certain cancers are much easier to treat, preventing thousands of cancer cases and improving survival. The following screening tests are effective at finding cancer, often before signs or symptoms appear:
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- The PSA test, used to screen men for prostate cancer, is recommended for Black men beginning between the ages of 40 and 45, especially for those who have a first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).
- All women are encouraged to think about breast cancer risk beginning in young adulthood. In addition to monthly self-examinations (encouraged for adult women at any age), the American Cancer Society recommends annual screening mammograms for women starting at age 40.
- Colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer should start at age 45 and be done every 10 years, unless recommended more often by your doctor, up until age 75. This screening not only detects cancer early, but, in many cases, can prevent cancer from developing by identifying and removing polyps (abnormal, precancerous growths within the colon).
- Low-dose CT scanning is recommended for those at higher risk for lung cancer. This includes adults, ages 50 to 80, who have a 20-pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or have quit smoking. (To determine a pack-year score, multiply the number of packs smoked per day by the number of years smoked. So, if you smoked two packs a day for 20 years, your pack-year score would be 40.)
Preventive health care and screening tests are necessary even if you are feeling fine. Talk with your doctor about what is right for you, based on your own family health history and your personal risk factors. If you don’t have a doctor, contact your insurance provider to see which doctors or providers are covered in your plan and ask about coverage for cancer screenings. Many are covered by insurance or available at no cost. If you don’t have health insurance, check with your local health department, community health center or hospital.
Closing the gap in cancer care disparities once and for all requires a collective effort—from healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers and communities—to ensure equitable access to prevention, early detection and high-quality treatment. Increasing our own awareness and wellness strategies can move us closer to that goal.
Reference: American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2025
If you don’t have a doctor, contact your insurance provider to see which doctors or providers are covered in your plan and ask about coverage for cancer screenings. Many are covered by insurance or available at no cost. If you don’t have health insurance, check with your local health department, community health center or hospital.
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