Ovarian and Uterine Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Native Women, United States, 1999-2009
Methods:We linked mortality data (1990-2009) from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and incidence data (1999-2009) from National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program to the Indian Health Services (IHS). We compared ovarian and uterine cancer incidence and mortality for non-Hispanic AI/AN populations in CHSDA counties to non-Hispanic White (NHW) women.
Results:Ovarian and uterine cancer death rates were similar in non-Hispanic AI/AN women and NHW women. Ovarian and uterine cancer incidence and death rates were higher for non-Hispanic AI/AN residing in CHSDA counties as compared to those residing in all US counties. We also observed geographic differences, regardless of CHSDA residence, in incidence and death rates of ovarian and uterine cancer in non-Hispanic AI/AN women by IHS region, with women in Pacific Coast (IR 10.2)and Southern Plains (IR 9.7) having higher death rates from ovarian cancer and women in Northern Plains (IR 5.4) having higher uterine cancer death rates.
Conclusions: There are significant regional differences in the incidence and mortality of ovarian and uterine cancers among AI/AN women in the US. More research among correctly classified AI/AN women is needed to understand these observations.