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State Health Compare

Incidence of breast, cervical, lung and colorectal cancer per 100,000; age adjusted

Measure Overview

Cancer affects millions of people every year, causing roughly 600,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Individuals’ risk for cancer varies based on many factors, including genetics and certain chronic health conditions (e.g., obesity); environmental exposures, including radiation (e.g., UV rays from the sun, radon gas in homes), and air and water pollution; and health-related behaviors such as smoking cigarettes and consumption of alcohol. 

Monitoring incidence can help researchers and public health professionals understand trends in cancer over time. For instance, cancer incidence data can help to identify whether certain groups of people are disproportionately impacted by cancer or whether the prevalence of cancer is increasing or decreasing over time. It can also be used to help craft targeted policies or programs that promote healthier behaviors, reduce exposure to environmental exposures that can increase cancer risk, and increase access to preventive care services such as cancer screenings. 

Cancer Incidence by State and More: Breakdowns and Data Source 


State Health Compare provides annual, state-level estimates of the age-adjusted incidence of breast, cervical, lung, and colorectal cancer per 100,000 people based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) WONDER database. 

This measure can be broken down by race/ethnicity.

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