Elevated colorectal cancer incidence among American Indian/Alaska Native persons in Alaska compared to other populations worldwide

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Donald Haverkamp, Diana Redwood, Elena Roik, Stephen Vindigni, Timothy Thomas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023
• Subjects: Native American; cancer surveillance; colorectal cancer; Alaska Native; colon cancer; health disparities; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Indian; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2023.2184749; https://doaj.org/article/b7d0eec096d9406bae8722eb7ec7fe8b

ABSTRACTColorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cancer worldwide; incidence varies greatly by country and racial group. We compared 2018 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) CRC incidence rates in Alaska to other Tribal, racial, and international population rates. AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest CRC incidence rate among US Tribal and racial groups (61.9/100,000 in 2018). AI/AN persons in Alaska also had higher rates than those reported for any other country in the world in 2018 except for Hungary, where males had a higher CRC incidence rate than AI/AN males in Alaska (70.6/100,000 and 63.6/100,000 respectively). This review of CRC incidence rates from populations in the United States and worldwide showed that AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest documented incidence rate of CRC in the world in 2018. It is important to inform health systems serving AI/AN persons in Alaska about policies and interventions that can support CRC screening to reduce the burden of this disease.