Abstract 4871: Colorectal cancer incidence and overall survival by race, stage, and age: A SEER database analysis, 2009-2020
Authors: McDonald Alicia C. , Joo Seongjung , Ma Jiemin , Amonkar Mayur M. , Shao Changxia , Desai Kaushal , Deitz Anne C. 
Published: March 2024

Introduction: In the United States, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although incidence rates of CRC have been decreasing overall, recent studies suggest a shift in demographics, specifically an increase in the number of new CRC cases among younger individuals and a higher incidence among those who identify as non-Hispanic Native American/Alaska Native. To examine the latest trends in incidence and overall survival (OS) among adults with CRC in the United States, we conducted an observational study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database.

Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with newly diagnosed CRC between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020 were identified in the SEER 17 database. Age-adjusted incidence rates for CRC were calculated by race/ethnicity and age groups (18-49, 50-64, and ≥65 years) from 2009 to 2020. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to examine 5-year OS by race/ethnicity, stage, and age groups.

Results: There were 429,218 CRC cases identified with a median age of 67 years. Most were male (52.4%) with stage 0-II CRC (51.4%). Most patients identified as non-Hispanic White (66.3%), followed by non-Hispanic Black (11.5%), non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%), non-Hispanic Native American/Alaska Native (0.7%), and Hispanic of any race (12.7%). The age-adjusted incidence rate between 2009 and 2020 was 51.9 per 100,000 persons; incidence decreased from 59.5 per 100,000 persons in 2009 to 44.2 per 100,000 persons in 2020, with male patients having a higher incidence rate than female patients. By 2020, non-Hispanic Native American/Alaska Native patients had the highest incidence rate (54.5 per 100,000 persons) followed by non-Hispanic Black patients (50.6 per 100,000 persons). CRC incidence rates increased slightly for age &lt;50 years (10.5 to 12.9 per 100,000 persons) and decreased for ages 50-64 (74.6 to 63.9 per 100,000 persons) and ≥65 years (222.4 to 136.1 per 100,000 persons). Non-Hispanic Black patients (53%), age ≥65 years (47%), and those with stage III-IV CRC (41%) had a lower 5-year OS from 2015 to 2019 compared to patients who were non-Hispanic White (57%), aged 50-64 (68%) and &lt;50 years (70%), and with stage 0-II CRC (77%).

Conclusion: Our results confirm a slight increase in CRC incidence among younger (&lt;50 years) individuals over the 2009-2020 time period. Patients who were non-Hispanic Native American/Alaska Native had the highest CRC incidence rate and patients who were non-Hispanic Black had the poorest OS. Targeted preventative efforts such as CRC screening programs in addition to improved access to care/treatment may be needed to reduce the number of new cases and improve outcomes among historically underserved groups.

Citation Format: Alicia C. McDonald, Seongjung Joo, Jiemin Ma, Mayur M. Amonkar, Changxia Shao, Kaushal Desai, Anne C. Deitz. Colorectal cancer incidence and overall survival by race, stage, and age: A SEER database analysis, 2009-2020 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4871.