Title: 10 States Where Cancer Incidence Is the Highest | The Motley Fool
Headings: 10 States Where Cancer Incidence Is the Highest
10 States Where Cancer Incidence Is the Highest
According to the CDC, these 10 states have the highest age-adjusted cancer incidence rates. Find out what some of the biggest risk factors are in these states as well as what therapies are being introduced to curb the rising tide of cancer diagnoses.

Content: Clearly, there are a number of factors at work here, but I suspect obesity could be a prime one. WHO, the CDC, and the Mayo Clinic all list obesity as a major cancer-causing risk factor. In addition, obesity can lead to a number of other serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As of 2010, as you can see below, three of these 10 states -- Louisiana, Kentucky, and Michigan -- all had obesity levels in excess of 30%, likely increasing their cancer incidence rates. Image source: Getty Images. Another prime cancer-causing factor that you'll see some commonality to in these states is smoking. According to a compilation from Health.com, Kentucky and Louisiana rank third and fourth in terms of the percentage of the adult population that smokes. There is perhaps no greater cancer-causing risk factor than tobacco products, so I feel pretty confident surmising that this is a reason why these aforementioned two states are among the highest in terms of cancer incidence rates in the country. Battling the bulge
Now that we have a better understanding of where cancer incidence rates are the highest, and what some of the risk factors are that could be pushing these rates higher, let's examine a few therapies, both approved and in clinical studies, that could be used to win the war against cancer.