Colorectal Cancer In New Jersey
1979-1997
Stage At Diagnosis

Stage at Diagnosis - 1985-1997

Between 1985 and 1997, the annual percentage of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the earlier stages (in situ and local) rose from 33.4 percent to 39.3 percent. (See Figure 7 and Table 24 in Appendix II.) In 1997, the percent diagnosed in earlier stages was very similar in the four gender and race groups, ranging from 37.2 percent among black women to 43.1 percent among black males. The increase in the percent of cases diagnosed in the in situ and localized stages was greatest among black men, increasing 31 percent from 33.0 percent in 1985 to 43.1 percent in 1997. Similarly, black women had a greater increase than white women in the percent of colorectal cancer diagnosed in the earlier stages, with an increase of nearly 24 percent for black women, and just 12 percent for white women. White men had the smallest increase in early stage diagnosis, less than 6 percent. (See Figure 7 and Tables 24 through 28 in Appendix II.)

Note that in contrast to other parts of this Report, this section includes colorectal cancer cases diagnosed in the in situ as well as invasive stages.


Figure 7
Colorectal Cancer Percent Early Stage At Diagnosis
By Gender And Race New Jersey - 1985-1997*

*Includes in situ and local cases. The years 1979 through 1984 are not included
because of the large percentage of cases with an unknown stage at diagnosis.

Stage at Diagnosis by County - 1985-1997

The percentage of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed in the early stages (in situ and localized) also varied by county of residence, although the variation was small for each stage. (See Tables 6 through 10.) Salem county had the highest percentage of cases diagnosed in the early stages for white men and black women. Gloucester county had the highest percentage of early stage diagnoses for black men, and Warren county had the highest proportion of early stage diagnoses for white women.

Table 6
Incident Colorectal Cancer Stage At Diagnosis
By County, New Jersey - 1985-1997*

COUNTY STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS
TOTAL IN SITU LOCALIZED REGIONAL DISTANT UNKNOWN
Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Atlantic 2,695 11.7 28.8 33.1 14.7 11.7
Bergen 9,281 7.4 31.5 34.9 15.1 11.1
Burlington 3,366 7.6 26.7 39.7 15.7 10.2
Camden 4,443 7.0 30.9 32.3 16.8 12.9
Cape May 1,621 8.4 30.1 36.5 14.3 10.7
Cumberland 1,315 6.1 29.4 38.0 15.9 10.6
Essex 7,284 7.8 30.5 34.4 17.3 10.0
Gloucester 1,884 5.7 30.4 35.1 16.3 12.4
Hudson 5,409 10.1 28.6 35.3 16.5 9.5
Hunterdon 869 9.9 29.9 32.9 15.3 12.0
Mercer 3,098 5.4 27.7 38.3 18.2 10.5
Middlesex 5,744 6.3 29.3 34.6 17.2 12.7
Monmouth 5,464 5.5 29.8 36.4 16.2 12.1
Morris 3,492 8.1 29.0 35.8 17.2 9.9
Ocean 6,873 7.1 26.8 37.6 14.4 14.1
Passaic 4,244 6.5 30.9 36.1 16.5 10.0
Salem 673 10.0 34.3 31.1 17.1 7.6
Somerset 1,809 6.4 31.1 36.9 14.7 10.9
Sussex 1,000 7.4 32.3 30.8 17.4 12.1
Union 5,417 6.5 32.0 36.2 16.7 8.5
Warren 1,076 8.7 34.1 35.3 14.6 7.2
Unknown 99 10.1 24.2 15.2 8.1 42.4
State 77,156 7.4 29.8 35.5 16.2 11.1

*Includes invasive and in situ cases. Cases of unknown county are included in state number and percents.

Table 7
Percent Incident Colorectal Cancer Stage At Diagnosis
By County, White Males, New Jersey - 1985-1997*

COUNTY STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS
TOTAL IN SITU LOCALIZED REGIONAL DISTANT UNKNOWN
Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Atlantic 1,188 13.7 28.8 31.7 15.2 10.6
Bergen 4,587 8.2 32.5 34.1 14.7 10.4
Burlington 1,568 7.9 29.0 37.8 15.1 10.3
Camden 1,972 8.2 32.2 31.5 17.1 11.0
Cape May 804 8.8 31.7 38.9 11.8 8.7
Cumberland 627 5.4 31.7 36.4 16.1 10.4
Essex 2,545 8.6 32.5 33.4 16.4 9.2
Gloucester 860 6.3 30.6 34.2 16.5 12.4
Hudson 2,449 10.8 30.5 34.4 16.3 8.0
Hunterdon 451 11.8 30.6 32.2 13.1 12.4
Mercer 1,368 5.1 29.1 38.1 17.5 10.2
Middlesex 2,975 6.9 29.9 33.7 17.5 12.0
Monmouth 2,581 6.3 30.6 35.4 16.3 11.4
Morris 1,758 9.3 29.9 35.3 16.7 8.7
Ocean 3,566 7.8 27.6 36.7 13.8 14.1
Passaic 2,003 7.5 30.9 35.4 17.2 9.0
Salem 298 10.7 36.2 31.2 16.1 5.7
Somerset 898 7.3 31.0 35.3 15.8 10.6
Sussex 509 7.3 33.8 30.3 18.7 10.0
Union 2,413 7.5 32.7 35.0 16.6 8.2
Warren 547 9.5 34.4 35.8 15.0 5.3
State 36,015 8.1 30.8 34.8 15.9 10.4

*Includes invasive and in situ cases. Cases of unknown county are included in state number and percents.

Table 8
Percent Incident Colorectal Cancer By Stage At Diagnosis
By County, White Females, New Jersey - 1985-1997*

COUNTY STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS
TOTAL IN SITU LOCALIZED REGIONAL DISTANT UNKNOWN
Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Atlantic 1,173 9.3 29.8 35.0 13.2 12.8
Bergen 4,392 6.6 31.0 35.5 15.0 11.8
Burlington 1,477 6.6 26.0 41.2 15.9 10.3
Camden 2,026 5.8 30.3 32.9 16.5 14.5
Cape May 764 8.1 28.7 33.8 16.6 12.8
Cumberland 568 7.0 28.2 40.1 13.9 10.7
Essex 2,663 7.2 30.2 36.5 15.3 10.9
Gloucester 894 5.0 29.1 36.6 16.8 12.5
Hudson 2,494 9.9 27.6 35.6 15.8 11.1
Hunterdon 406 8.1 29.6 33.0 17.5 11.8
Mercer 1,330 5.0 27.2 38.6 17.7 11.5
Middlesex 2,550 5.4 29.1 35.3 16.8 13.4
Monmouth 2,574 4.5 30.1 37.1 15.4 12.8
Morris 1,665 6.7 28.3 36.4 17.4 11.2
Ocean 3,243 6.5 26.0 38.6 15.1 13.8
Passaic 1,929 5.4 30.8 36.5 15.9 11.4
Salem 293 8.9 32.4 32.1 17.1 9.6
Somerset 829 5.4 30.9 39.1 12.4 12.2
Sussex 481 7.7 31.0 31.6 15.2 14.6
Union 2,397 5.8 32.0 37.3 15.9 9.1
Warren 522 7.9 34.1 34.9 14.2 9.0
State 34,712 6.5 29.4 36.4 15.7 12.0

*Includes invasive and in situ cases. Cases of unknown county are included in state number and percents.

Table 9
Incident Colorectal Cancer Stage At Diagnosis
By County, Black Males, New Jersey - 1985-1997*

COUNTY STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS
TOTAL IN SITU LOCALIZED REGIONAL DISTANT UNKNOWN
Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Atlantic 145 15.9 26.2 30.3 20.7 6.9
Bergen 133 8.3 24.8 29.3 24.1 13.5
Burlington 187 12.3 18.2 42.2 15.5 11.8
Camden 222 8.6 29.7 33.8 15.8 12.2
Cape May 21 9.5 23.8 42.9 19.0 4.8
Cumberland 64 1.6 20.3 39.1 26.6 12.5
Essex 944 7.9 28.7 34.4 20.0 8.9
Gloucester 65 6.2 44.6 30.8 12.3 6.2
Hudson 203 7.4 26.6 37.4 20.2 8.4
Mercer 197 7.1 22.8 37.6 24.9 7.6
Middlesex 96 10.4 20.8 38.5 17.7 12.5
Monmouth 143 7.0 27.3 31.5 23.1 11.2
Morris 30 3.3 23.3 33.3 23.3 16.7
Ocean 29 3.4 24.1 41.4 10.3 20.7
Passaic 140 5.7 35.7 32.1 17.9 8.6
Salem 48 10.4 33.3 31.3 18.8 6.3
Somerset 45 6.7 42.2 28.9 22.2 0.0
Union 307 5.2 34.9 33.2 19.5 7.2
State 3,038 8.0 28.2 34.6 19.8 9.3

*Includes invasive and in situ cases. Cases of unknown county are included in state number and percents. Counties with fewer than twenty total cases were removed from the table - Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties.

Table 10
Incident Colorectal Cancer Stage At Diagnosis
By County, Black Females, New Jersey - 1985-1997*

COUNTY STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS
TOTAL IN SITU LOCALIZED REGIONAL DISTANT UNKNOWN
Number Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Atlantic 189 10.1 24.9 32.8 16.4 15.9
Bergen 169 3.0 23.7 40.8 23.1 9.5
Burlington 134 8.2 20.9 43.3 20.1 7.5
Camden 223 6.7 26.9 33.2 17.5 15.7
Cape May 32 3.1 28.1 37.5 15.6 15.6
Cumberland 56 8.9 25.0 33.9 21.4 10.7
Essex 1,132 7.3 28.4 31.7 21.8 10.8
Gloucester 65 7.7 30.8 32.3 12.3 16.9
Hudson 263 7.6 22.4 38.8 22.8 8.4
Mercer 203 8.9 25.6 37.4 19.7 8.4
Middlesex 123 8.9 24.4 37.4 17.1 12.2
Monmouth 166 5.4 15.1 44.6 22.3 12.7
Morris 39 15.4 20.5 35.9 23.1 5.1
Ocean 35 2.9 25.7 25.7 22.9 22.9
Passaic 172 7.0 27.3 44.2 13.4 8.1
Salem 34 11.8 35.3 20.6 23.5 8.8
Somerset 37 5.4 24.3 35.1 29.7 5.4
Union 300 5.7 24.0 40.7 22.0 7.7
State 3,391 7.2 25.4 36.0 20.5 10.8

 
*Includes invasive and in situ cases. Cases of unknown county are included in state number and percents. Counties with fewer than twenty total cases were removed from the table - Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren Counties.

Return to main page

NJ Home Search NJ NJ Departments NJ Services NJ Directories NJ Legislature NJ Judiciary