Title: Lung Cancer Rates by State | Compensation for Lung Cancer Victims
Headings: Lung Cancer Rates by State, 2017
Lung Cancer Rates by State, 2017
Comparing Cancer Data
Racial and Ethical Population Differences
Population and Health Behaviors
Differences in Medical Care
Influence of Aging
Measuring Burden
Completeness of Incidence Data

Content: The following points should be kept in mind when comparing these rankings. Racial and Ethical Population Differences
Certain cancers have different incidence rates for different racial and ethnic populations, for instance, breast cancer incidence rates are typically higher in white women than in women of other racial and ethnic populations, while prostate cancer incidence rates are higher in black men. Therefore, when making comparisons of cancer rates across states, the racial makeup of the state’s population must be taken into account. Population and Health Behaviors
Some differences in cancer rates among states may be explained by differences in known risk factors among the populations of those states, for example, higher rates of lung cancer are found in states with higher smoking rates. Although environmental carcinogens may be responsible for some cancer cases, the majority of cases appear to be lifestyle-related. Differences in Medical Care
Variations in medical care among states may also result in differences in cancer rates. In states where higher percentages of people participate in cancer screenings, more cancers are diagnosed early when the prognosis is often better. Influence of Aging
The likelihood of cancer increases with age; therefore, rates are adjusted for age so that states can be compared without regard to the differences in the age distribution of their populations. Measuring Burden
The importance of cancer as a public health problem in a state is more the absolute rate of cancer rather than the state’s relative ranking in incidence or mortality.