Stage at Diagnosis Distribution by Race/Ethnicity, California, 1999-2008 Race/Ethnicity Localized Regional Distant

Head and neck cancers diagnosed in California are most common among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks (Figure 3). However, over the past 21 years, both the mortality and incidence rates among all racial/ethnic groups have significantly declined. The largest decrease in incidence has been among non-Hispanic blacks (37.8%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islanders (27.1%). The most notable reduction in mortality has also been among non-Hispanic blacks and Asian/Pacific Islanders.