will be alive 5 years from the time of diagnosis. In contrast, 5-year survival rates among African Americans and Native Americans are considerably reduced (38 percent and 34 percent, respectively). Similar patterns are seen, for example, for breast cancer among females and cancers of the colon and rectum. The 5-year breast cancer survival rate among U.S. white women is 75 percent, whereas the rates are 63 percent among African Americans and 53 percent among Native American women. Survival rates for cancer of the colon and rectum are 51 percent among U.S. whites, 41 percent among Filipinos, and 37 percent among Native Americans. Updated survival rates (1960 to 1992), which are available only for African Americans, support the suggested picture of poor survival among ethnic minority populations.

Thus, the effort to improve survival rates appears to have been least effective for members of ethnic minority groups. This has largely been attributed to late stage at diagnosis, perhaps in part due the limited use of early-detection services and access to state-of-the-art treatment.

Information from sources other than the SEER program, such as other national databases, special collaborative reports, or the results of independent