The NCI has recognized the need to better define the cancer burden in subpopulations and supports research, applications and surveillance of the entire United States population. Since its inception in 1973, the cancer registry system of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program has included large segments of subpopulations. Subsequent expansions increased the proportions of Hispanics, urban African Americans and Asian and Pacific Islanders in Southern California and the Greater Bay Area, rural African Americans in Georgia, northwestern populations in Seattle, Arizona Indians, and Alaska Natives residing in Alaska. An expansion in 2001 of four areas increased coverage of key populations, such as rural low-income whites, more geographically diverse American Indians, rural African-Americans and other Hispanic groups. The most recent expansion, in 2018, brings SEER coverage to 34.6% of the U.S. population, which includes 31.9 percent of Whites, 30.0 percent of African Americans, 44.0 percent of Hispanics, 49.3 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 57.5 percent of Asians, and 68.5 percent of Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders.

The SEER Program collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data in order to assemble and report estimates of cancer incidence, survival, mortality, other measures of the cancer burden, and patterns of care in the U.S. Statistics from the SEER Program routinely include information specific to subpopulations defined by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and geography.