The Georgia Department of Public Health

In Georgia, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among males and females.

COLORECTAL CANCER INCIDENCE IN GEORGIA
Colorectal cancer is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer among Georgia males and females.
Nearly 4,000 new colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed each year.

COLORECTAL CANCER MORTALITY IN GEORGIA
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death among Georgia males and females.
Nearly 1,400 deaths due to colorectal cancer occur each year.

Rate per 100,000

Rate per 100,000

Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rate, by Sex and Race/Ethnicity, Georgia, 2007-2011

80
60 51 38
40

62

49

46

35

20

Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rate, by Sex and Race, Georgia, 2006-2011*

40

30

20

20

14

10

29
18 19 12

0
Males Females

NH Bla ck NH NH Bla ck NH

Males White Females White

Males

Females

From 2007-2011, 19,440 colorectal cancers were newly diagnosed in Georgia with an age-adjusted rate of 43/100,000 population.
Males (51/100,000) had a higher age-adjusted incidence rate than females (38/100,000).
Non-Hispanic (NH) Black males had a higher age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rate (62/100,000) than NH White males (49/100,000).

NH Black females had a higher age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rate (46/100,000) than NH White females (35/100,000).

Age-specific Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rate, by Sex, Georgia, 2007-2011

Rate per 100,000

Males

Females

300
200
100 87
0 <50

96 68

202 137

288 218

50-64

65-74

75+

Age Group (Years)

Males have higher incidence rates of colorectal cancer among all age groups.
The incidence rates of colorectal cancer increase with age for both males and females.
The risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer increases sharply after age 64 years for both males and females.

0
Males Females

Black White Black Wh ite Males Males Females Females

*Note: 2009 death data were excluded from the analysis due to data reliability
From 2006-2011, 6,885 Georgians died due to colorectal cancer. An average of 1,377 deaths occurred each year; of these, 711
deaths were among males and 666 deaths were among females. Males (20/100,000) had a higher age-adjusted death rate than females (14/100,000). Black males had the highest age-adjusted colorectal cancer death rate (29/100,000).

Age-specific Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rate, by Sex, Georgia, 2006-2011*

Males Females

Rate per 100,000

200
150
100
50 22
0 <50

30 19

68 47

154 109

50-64

65-74

75+

Age Group (Years)

*Note: 2009 death data were excluded from the analysis due to data reliability

Males have higher mortality rates of colorectal cancer among all age groups.
The mortality rates of colorectal cancer increase with age for both males and females.
The risk of dying from colorectal cancer increases sharply after age 64 years for both males and females.

2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Ga 30303 | health.state.ga.us

January 2015

Colorectal Cancer Factsheet COLORECTAL CANCER INCIDENCE
Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rates

COLORECTAL CANCER MORTALITY Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rates Among

Among Males, by Health District, Georgia, 2007-2011

Males, by Health District, Georgia, 2006-2011*

According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2007-2011:
The Southwest (8-2), Southeast (9-2), and Clayton (3-3) Public Health Districts had the highest age-adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rates among males.
The North Georgia (1-2), East Metro (3-4), DeKalb (3-5), and South Central (5-1) Public Health Districts had the lowest ageadjusted colorectal cancer incidence rates among males.
Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rates Among Females, by Health District, Georgia, 2007-2011

*Note: 2009 death data were excluded from the analysis due to data reliability
According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2006-2011:
The East Central (6), West Central (7), and North Central (5-2) Public Health Districts had the highest age-adjusted colorectal cancer death rates among males.
The North Georgia (1-2), South Central (5-1), Cobb-Douglas (3-1), and North (2) Public Health Districts had the lowest ageadjusted colorectal cancer death rates among males.
Age-adjusted Colorectal Cancer Mortality Rates Among Females, by Health District, Georgia, 2006-2011*

*Note: 2009 death data were excluded from the analysis due to data reliability

According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2007-2011:

According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2006-2011:

The West Central (7), Clayton (3-3), and North Central (5-2)

The West Central (7), North Central (5-2), and Clayton (3-3)

Public Health Districts had the highest age-adjusted colorectal

Public Health Districts had the highest age-adjusted colorectal

cancer incidence rates among females.

cancer death rates among females.

The North Georgia (1-2), Southeast (9-2), East Metro (3-4),

The North Georgia (1-2), North (2), Fulton (3-2), and Southeast

and South (8-1) Public Health Districts had the lowest age-

(9-2) Public Health Districts had the lowest age-adjusted

adjusted colorectal cancer incidence rates among females.

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colorectal cancer death rates among females.

Late Stage Colorectal Cancer Incidence Among Males,

RISK FACTORS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER

Colorectal Cancer Factsheet By Health District, Georgia, 2007-2011

Older age Personal/family history of colorectal cancer or polyps

Diet

Smoking and alcohol consumption

Obesity Physical inactivity

PREVENTION
The National Cancer Institute says that colorectal cancer can be prevented by managing modifiable risk factors such as diet and physical activity, and by screening to enable detection and removal of precancerous polyps.

SCREENING GUIDELINES
Screening is the process of looking for cancer in people who have no symptoms of colorectal cancer. Beginning at age 50 and continuing until age 75, both men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should be screened for colorectal cancer using one of the examination schedules below.

Late Stage is defined as regional or distant at time of diagnosis
According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2007-2011: The Northeast (10), West Central (7), and East Metro (3-4) Public
Health Districts had the highest percentage of adult males who were diagnosed with late stage (regional or distant) colorectal cancer. The North Central (5-2), South Central (5-1), DeKalb (3-5), and South (8-1) Public Health Districts had the lowest percentage of adult males who were diagnosed at late stage.

Tests that are used to screen for colorectal cancer can be divided into two groups with different schedules:

Tests that find both colorectal polyps and cancer:

Sigmoidoscopy

every 5 years

Standard Colonoscopy

every 10 years

Tests that find cancer: High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)

every year every year

Prevalence (%) of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Adults 50-75 Years of Age, By Health District, Georgia, 2011

Late Stage Colorectal Cancer Incidence Among Females, By Health District, Georgia, 2007-2011

The Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation is defined as the percent of adults who had a FOBT in the last year, and/or sigmoidoscopy in the last 5 years, and/or colonoscopy in the last 10 years.
NOTE: Public Health Districts with small sample sizes of <50 include Clayton (3-3) and Southeast (9-2).

Late Stage is defined as regional or distant at time of diagnosis
According to data from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, during 2007-2011: The Northeast (10), West Central (7), and East Metro (3-4) Public
Health Districts had the highest percentage of adult females who were diagnosed at late stage. The South Central (5-1), Clayton (3-3), North Central (5-2), and DeKalb (3-5) Public Health Districts had the lowest percentage of adult females who were diagnosed at late stage.

According to the Georgia 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data:

The Southwest (8-2), East Metro (3-4), and Northwest (1-1) Public Health Districts had the highest percentage of adults who met the recommendation for colorectal cancer screening.
The North Georgia (1-2), North Central (5-2), LaGrange (4), and South (8-1) Public Health Districts had the lowest percentage of adults who met the recommendation for colorectal cancer screening.

Data Sources: Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry (2007-2011);

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2011);

Georgia Vital Records Program (2006-2011)*

Date updated: December 2014

Visit http://dph.georgia.gov/georgia-comprehensive-cancer-registry for

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more information about cancer in Georgia.