ABSTRACT
Cancer, a disease of altered cellular growth, is the second most common cause of death in the United States. It is no respecter of persons and affects individuals of all ages, sexes, socioeconomic strata, and racial and ethnic populations. The burden of cancer is not borne equally by all population subgroups in the United States. Marked variations in cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates exits among multiracial and multiethnic populations, and cancer-related health disparities account for much of the excess morbidity and mortality observed. The study of molecular and genetic markers of cancer risk in multiracial and multiethnic populations provides opportunities to identify individuals at risk, to enhance screening and detection capabilities, to determine markers of cancer prognosis, and to potentially effect treatment outcomes. Breast, prostate, lung, and colon and rectum are the most frequent sites of cancer in all American population subgroups and they account for approximately 56% of all new cases.
