Geographic Variations

Geographic variations are presented for the four most common cancers.

Note: The rates mentioned are per 100,000 people in the United States. Incidence data for the Midwest U.S. Census region are not available.

Female Breast Cancer

• The incidence rate for the United States is 123.1.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (130.0), followed by the West (123.6) and South (119.6).
• The death rate for the United States is 22.2.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest, Northeast, and South U.S. Census regions (22.4), followed by the West (21.4).

Prostate Cancer

• The incidence rate for the United States is 137.7.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (147.8), followed by the South (136.6) and West (130.8).
• The death rate for the United States is 22.0.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (22.6), followed by the West (22.2), South (21.9), and Northeast (21.3).

Lung Cancer

Men

• The incidence rate for the United States is 78.2.
  Incidence rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (86.6), followed by the Northeast (77.1) and West (61.0).
• The death rate for the United States is 62.0.
  Death rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (69.7), followed by the Midwest (67.1), Northeast (57.0), and West (48.1).

Women

• The incidence rate for the United States is 54.1.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (56.8), followed by the South (55.1) and West (46.4).
• The death rate for the United States is 38.6.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (41.7), followed by the South (40.2), Northeast (37.6), and West (33.3).

Colorectal (Colon) Cancer

Men

• The incidence rate for the United States is 49.2.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (50.9), followed by the South (49.0) and West (46.2).
• The death rate for the United States is 19.1.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (20.1), followed by the South (19.6), Northeast (19.3), and West (17.1).

Women

• The incidence rate for the United States is 37.1.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (38.7), followed by the South (36.5) and West (35.0).
• The death rate for the United States is 13.1.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (13.6), followed by the Northeast and South (13.3), and West (12.2).

Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2009 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2013. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs. (full site)