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Burden of Chronic Disease

• By Disease and Risk Factor
• By State



The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002

Section II
The Burden of Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer, and Diabetes, United States

  




All Cancers

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 8.9 million Americans have a personal history of cancer. Cancer is largely controllable through prevention, early detection, and treatment. Reducing the nation’s cancer burden requires reducing the prevalence of behavioral and environmental factors that increase cancer risk. It also requires ensuring that cancer screening services and high-quality treatment are available and accessible, particularly to medically underserved populations.

  • Almost one in every four deaths in the United States is from cancer; more than 549,800 Americans died of cancer in 1999.
  • According to the National Institutes of Health, each year cancer costs this nation an estimated $180.2 billion, which includes health care expenditures and lost productivity from illness and death. 
  • All cancers caused by cigarette smoking could be prevented. At least one-third of cancer deaths that occur in the United States are due to cigarette smoking. 
  • According to the American Cancer Society, about one-third of cancer deaths that occur in the United States each year are due to nutrition and physical activity factors, including obesity.

All Cancers: 1999 Death Rate*

All Cancers: 1999 Death Rate. Data in tabular format follows.

*Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population. ICD-10 codes: C00-C97.

  



 

Adjusted Rates of Death Due to All Cancers,* by State Rank, 1999

Rank State Rate†
1 District of Columbia 236.9
2 Louisiana 233.9
3 Mississippi 232.4
4 Delaware 231.0
5 Kentucky 226.1
6 West Virginia 225.6
7 Maine 223.1
8 Arkansas 220.6
9 Indiana 219.1
10 Tennessee 218.7
11 Ohio 216.2
12 South Carolina 216.1
13 Nevada 214.8
14 Rhode Island 214.0
15 Virginia 213.5
16 Alabama 213.4
17 Vermont 213.1
18 Pennsylvania 212.8
19 Maryland 212.0
20 New Hampshire 211.3
21 Missouri 210.7
22 New Jersey 210.6
23 Illinois 210.5
24 North Carolina 210.3
25 Massachusetts 207.8
26 Oklahoma 207.8
27 Georgia 206.5
28 Michigan 204.1
29 South Dakota 201.0
30 Washington 199.0
31 Oregon 198.4
32 New York 197.8
33 Wisconsin 197.7
34 Wyoming 197.5
35 Texas 196.8
36 Montana 196.2
37 Florida 196.2
38 Connecticut 194.5
39 Kansas 193.0
40 Nebraska 191.7
41 Iowa 191.1
42 Minnesota 189.1
43 North Dakota 188.4
44 Arizona 188.0
45 Alaska 187.0
46 Idaho 186.5
47 California 183.1
48 New Mexico 180.1
49 Colorado 169.8
50 Utah 157.1
51 Hawaii 154.7
United States 202.7

*ICD-10 codes: C00-C97. 
† Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population.

 

Deaths Due to All Cancers,* by Sex, 1999 

  Total Male Female
State Number Rate* Number Rate* Number Rate*
Alabama 9,506 213.4 5,140 283.2 4,366 167.9
Alaska 633 187.0 338 214.6 295 165.6
Arizona 9,006 188.0 4,809 226.3 4,197 159.4
Arkansas 6,137 220.6 3,360 290.1 2,777 173.7
California 53,064 183.1 27,153 216.0 25,911 160.0
Colorado 5,862 169.8 2,988 205.5 2,874 147.0
Connecticut 7,054 194.5 3,562 239.4 3,492 166.3
Delaware 1,737 231.0 891 283.5 846 197.4
District of Columbia 1,340 236.9 669 299.7 671 197.6
Florida 38,477 196.2 20,770 241.8 17,707 162.1
Georgia 13,225 206.5 7,130 275.7 6,095 162.8
Hawaii 1,916 154.7 1,080 190.3 836 125.3
Idaho 2,162 186.5 1,150 225.3 1,012 157.8
Illinois 25,024 210.5 12,697 260.6 12,327 178.4
Indiana 12,898 219.1 6,709 278.5 6,189 180.9
Iowa 6,346 191.1 3,334 243.7 3,012 157.0
Kansas 5,334 193.0 2,779 240.5 2,555 161.6
Kentucky 8,925 226.1 4,763 292.0 4,162 182.5
Louisiana 9,412 233.9 5,103 308.4 4,309 184.6
Maine 3,035 223.1 1,533 271.3 1,502 193.6
Maryland 10,143 212.0 5,236 266.1 4,907 177.6
Massachusetts 13,853 207.8 7,007 262.0 6,846 173.9
Michigan 19,744 204.1 10,174 251.7 9,570 172.7
Minnesota 8,892 189.1 4,588 233.4 4,304 159.5
Mississippi 6,143 232.4 3,390 319.3 2,753 177.3
Missouri 12,186 210.7 6,239 260.5 5,947 177.5
Montana 1,854 196.2 982 239.2 872 166.6
Nebraska 3,410 191.7 1,731 233.9 1,679 163.6
Nevada 3,556 214.8 1,944 251.2 1,612 185.4
New Hampshire 2,408 211.3 1,248 263.0 1,160 179.0
New Jersey 18,177 210.6 9,056 255.1 9,121 181.8
New Mexico 2,857 180.1 1,495 214.6 1,362 155.1
New York 37,609 197.8 18,524 236.3 19,085 173.3
North Carolina 15,815 210.3 8,412 276.7 7,403 168.6
North Dakota 1,366 188.4 693 225.4 673 162.4
Ohio 25,233 216.2 12,928 270.1 12,305 182.1
Oklahoma 7,312 207.8 3,909 267.4 3,403 168.6
Oregon 6,905 198.4 3,569 238.1 3,336 171.3
Pennsylvania 30,311 212.8 15,316 263.8 14,995 179.9
Rhode Island 2,463 214.0 1,202 262.5 1,261 185.8
South Carolina 8,089 216.1 4,392 284.9 3,697 170.9
South Dakota 1,632 201.0 878 254.4 754 161.9
Tennessee 11,941 218.7 6,467 290.5 5,474 172.3
Texas 32,755 196.8 17,347 249.1 15,408 161.9
Utah 2,393 157.1 1,267 191.4 1,126 133.4
Vermont 1,255 213.1 663 268.3 592 177.4
Virginia 13,365 213.5 6,997 271.9 6,368 176.3
Washington 10,653 199.0 5,527 238.5 5,126 171.3
West Virginia 4,762 225.6 2,513 290.5 2,249 185.0
Wisconsin 10,755 197.7 5,690 249.5 5,065 162.9
Wyoming 899 197.5 484 238.9 415 166.7
United States 549,829† 202.7 285,826 251.6 264,003 169.9

*Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population. 
† Total is slightly less than that in table, Deaths Due to Five Leading Chronic Disease Killers as a Percentage of All Deaths, United States, 1999, because it does not include decedents with unknown age.

  


 

Deaths Due to All Cancers, by Race and Ethnicity, 1999

  White Black Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/ Alaska Native Hispanic
State Number Rate* Number Rate* Number Rate* Number Rate* Number Rate*
Alabama 7,269 205.6 2,202 251.9 - - - - - -
Alaska 485 187.3 - - - - 122 262.4 - -
Arizona 7,898 195.6 196 224.4 54 119.9 150 127.9 708 140.9
Arkansas 5,277 215.7 835 278.3 - - - - - -
California 39,493 199.1 3,943 248.1 3,805 139.0 158 97.1 5,665 118.4
Colorado 5,163 174.2 210 220.7 59 115.3 - - 410 122.5
Connecticut 6,444 196.6 444 235.9 33 75.8 - - 130 94.7
Delaware 1,425 223.7 282 301.2 - - - - - -
District of Columbia 287 174.1 1,034 279.9 - - - - - -
Florida 32,108 201.4 3,389 249.1 139 83.3 23 62.7 2,818 136.3
Georgia 9,688 198.6 3,382 250.0 68 86.0 - - 75 75.1
Hawaii 510 152.8 - - 1,320 159.6 - - 60 116.6
Idaho 2,110 190.2 - - - - - - 31 79.9
Illinois 20,546 209.0 3,675 288.4 247 94.5 - - 551 92.5
Indiana 11,770 216.9 1,005 289.3 29 104.8 - - 89 115.0
Iowa 6,203 191.0 93 302.1 - - - - 32 135.1
Kansas 4,958 193.2 268 268.8 - - - - 71 105.7
Kentucky 8,293 224.5 585 266.6 - - - - 35 249.3
Louisiana 6,434 220.4 2,838 289.7 34 107.9 - - 99 105.1
Maine 3,005 223.3 - - - - - - - -
Maryland 7,570 208.8 2,408 258.3 129 105.0 - - 27 27.5
Massachusetts 12,994 209.1 496 260.7 159 148.4 - - 196 115.4
Michigan 16,838 200.6 2,562 244.8 84 107.4 91 313.9 169 116.3
Minnesota 8,566 188.3 154 260.0 67 146.0 54 215.1 51 124.2
Mississippi 4,198 219.3 1,917 271.8 - - - - - -
Missouri 10,825 205.9 1,230 279.6 35 122.2 25 153.2 71 142.1
Montana 1,775 195.4 - - - - 68 279.5 - -
Nebraska 3,249 191.6 103 285.4 - - - - 34 89.6
Nevada 3,135 229.1 189 228.6 91 160.1 28 146.0 113 77.0
New Hampshire 2,392 213.7 - - - - - - - -
New Jersey 15,273 218.9 2,126 267.3 234 84.0 - - 531 82.5
New Mexico 1,856 184.5 51 194.1 - - 112 151.7 824 175.7
New York 29,998 205.0 4,878 231.0 722 117.1 37 86.4 1,974 115.8
North Carolina 12,324 201.7 3,312 263.2 37 80.5 109 180.5 33 46.1
North Dakota 1,332 187.8 - - - - 31 320.9 - -
Ohio 22,403 213.4 2,657 269.4 65 94.8 - - 104 103.7
Oklahoma 6,449 210.4 475 274.1 24 121.1 287 146.3 77 134.4
Oregon 6,614 201.1 80 248.8 89 155.2 52 193.4 70 84.1
Pennsylvania 27,158 208.1 2,833 298.6 115 105.8 - - 202 120.9
Rhode Island 2,341 215.7 63 271.7 - - - - 36 99.8
South Carolina 5,790 202.9 2,254 266.0 - - - - - -
South Dakota 1,574 201.0 - - - - 54 255.8 - -
Tennessee 10,112 211.9 1,772 283.1 30 126.0 - - - -
Texas 23,839 203.8 4,136 271.0 318 117.7 21 41.0 4,441 140.8
Utah 2,254 158.6 - - 42 175.6 - - 67 101.9
Vermont 1,246 214.3 - - - - - - - -
Virginia 10,327 206.3 2,743 274.7 179 124.1 - - 108 95.4
Washington 9,916 203.3 232 227.3 283 140.9 91 167.0 131 88.8
West Virginia 4,609 226.6 148 249.8 - - - - - -
Wisconsin 10,248 196.8 378 268.7 43 162.7 37 173.0 49 79.0
Wyoming 855 198.9 - - - - - - 25 143.7
United States 457,426 204.3 61,650 262.5 8,725 129.3 1,795 136.8 20,233 122.1

*Deaths per 100,000, age adjusted to 2000 total U.S. population. Dashes indicate too few deaths (20 or fewer) to calculate a stable estimate.

 

  



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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

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