Melissa A. Jim

Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975–2004, featuring cancer in American Indians and Alaska Natives

The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries collaborate annually to provide updated information on cancer occurrence and trends in the U.S. The 2007 report features a comprehensive compilation of cancer information for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).

Cancer among American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, 1999–2004

Cancer incidence rates vary among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and often differ from rates among non‐Hispanic whites (NHWs). However, the misclassification of race for AI/AN cancer cases in central cancer registries may have led to underestimates of the AI/AN cancer burden in previous reports.

Methods for improving cancer surveillance data in American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

The misclassification of race decreases the accuracy of cancer incidence data for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in some central cancer registries. This article describes the data sources and methods that were used to address this misclassification and to produce the cancer statistics used by most of the articles in this supplement.

Leading Causes of Death and All-Cause Mortality in American Indians and Alaska Natives

OBJECTIVES We present regional patterns and trends in all-cause mortality and leading causes of death in American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). METHODS US National Death Index records were linked with Indian Health Service (IHS) registration records to identify AI/AN deaths misclassified as non-AI/AN. We analyzed temporal trends for 1990 to 2009 and comparisons between non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic White persons by geographic region for 1999 to 2009. Results focus on IHS Contract Health Service Delivery Area counties in which less race misclassification occurs. RESULTS From 1990 to 2009 AI/AN persons did not experience the significant decreases in all-cause mortality seen for Whites. For 1999 to 2009 the all-cause death rate in CHSDA counties for AI/AN persons was 46% more than that for Whites. Death rates for AI/AN persons varied as much as 50% among regions. Except for heart disease and cancer, subsequent ranking of specific causes of death differed considerably between AI/AN and White persons. CONCLUSIONS AI/AN populations continue to experience much higher death rates than Whites. Patterns of mortality are strongly influenced by the high incidence of diabetes, smoking prevalence, problem drinking, and social determinants. Much of the observed excess mortality can be addressed through known public health interventions.

Methods for Improving the Quality and Completeness of Mortality Data for American Indians and Alaska Natives

OBJECTIVES We describe methods used to mitigate the effect of race misclassification in mortality records and the data sets used to improve mortality estimates for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). METHODS We linked US National Death Index (NDI) records with Indian Health Service (IHS) registration records to identify AI/AN deaths misclassified as non-AI/AN deaths. Analyses excluded decedents of Hispanic origin and focused on Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA) counties. We compared death rates for AI/AN persons and Whites across 6 US regions. RESULTS IHS registration records merged to 176,137 NDI records. Misclassification of AI/AN race in mortality data ranged from 6.3% in the Southwest to 35.6% in the Southern Plains. From 1999 to 2009, the all-cause death rate in CHSDA counties for AI/AN persons varied by geographic region and was 46% greater than that for Whites. Analyses for CHSDA counties resulted in higher death rates for AI/AN persons than in all counties combined. CONCLUSIONS Improving race classification among AI/AN decedents strengthens AI/AN mortality data, and analyzing deaths by geographic region can aid in planning, implementation, and evaluation of efforts to reduce health disparities in this population.

Racial Misclassification of American Indians and Alaska Natives by Indian Health Service Contract Health Service Delivery Area

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the racial misclassification of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in cancer incidence and all-cause mortality data by Indian Health Service (IHS) Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA). METHODS We evaluated data from 3 sources: IHS-National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), IHS-National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)/Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, and National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS). We calculated, within each data source, the sensitivity and classification ratios by sex, IHS region, and urban-rural classification by CHSDA county. RESULTS Sensitivity was significantly greater in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 83.6%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 77.6%; NLMS: 68.8%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 54.8%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 39.0%; NLMS: 28.3%). Classification ratios indicated less misclassification in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.20%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 1.29%; NLMS: 1.18%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.82%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 2.56%; NLMS: 1.81%). Race misclassification was less in rural counties and in regions with the greatest concentrations of AI/AN persons (Alaska, Southwest, and Northern Plains). CONCLUSIONS Limiting presentation and analysis to CHSDA counties helped mitigate the effects of race misclassification of AI/AN persons, although a portion of the population was excluded.

Regional differences in colorectal cancer incidence, stage, and subsite among American Indians and Alaska Natives, 1999-2004.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), but misclassification of race causes underestimates of disease burden.

Regional differences in cervical cancer incidence among American Indians and Alaska Natives, 1999–2004†‡§

Reports from limited geographic regions indicate higher rates of cervical cancer incidence in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women than in women of other races. However, accurate determinations of cervical cancer incidence in AI/AN women have been hampered by racial misclassification in central cancer registries.

Gallbladder Cancer Incidence Among American Indians and Alaska Natives, US, 1999-2004

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is rare; however, it disproportionately affects the American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) population. The purpose of the study was to characterize GBC among AI/AN in the US population.

Gallbladder Cancer Incidence and Mortality, United States 1999-2011.

Background: Gallbladder cancer is a rare cancer with unusual distribution, and few population-based estimates for the United States have been published. Methods: Using population-based cancer incidence and mortality data, we examined U.S. gallbladder cancer incidence and death rates for 2007–2011 and trends for 1999–2011. Results: During 2007 to 2011, approximately 3,700 persons were diagnosed with primary gallbladder cancer (rate = 1.13 cases per 100,000) and 2,000 died from the disease (rate = 0.62 deaths per 100,000) each year in the United States. Two thirds of gallbladder cancer cases and deaths occurred among women. Gallbladder cancer incidence and death rates were three times higher among American Indian and Alaska Native persons than non-Hispanic white persons. By state, gallbladder cancer incidence and death rates ranged by about 2-fold. During 1999 to 2011, gallbladder cancer incidence rates decreased among women but remained level among men; death rates declined among women but stabilized among men after declining from 1999 to 2006. Gallbladder cancer incidence rates increased in some subgroups, notably among black persons, those aged <45 years, and for endocrine tumors. Conclusions: Data from U.S. population-based cancer registries confirm that gallbladder cancer incidence and death rates are higher among women than men, highest among American Indian and Alaska Native persons, and differ by region. While overall incidence and death rates decreased during 1999 to 2011, incidence rates increased among some small subgroups. Impact: Surveillance of gallbladder cancer incidence and mortality, particularly to monitor increases in subgroups, may provide clues to etiology and stimulate further research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(9); 1319–26. ©2015 AACR.