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 West U.S. Census region are not available.

Female Breast Cancer

• The incidence rate for the United States is 123.9.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (134.2), followed by the Midwest (126.2), West (120.3), and South (119.8).
• The death rate for the United States is 20.5.
  Death rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (21.2), followed by the Midwest (21.0), West (19.8), and Northeast (19.6).

Prostate Cancer

• The incidence rate for the United States is 95.5.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Northeast U.S. Census region (104.7), followed by the Midwest (96.7), South (96.4), and West (85.5).
• The death rate for the United States is 19.1.
  Death rates are highest in the West U.S. Census region (19.5), followed by the Midwest (19.4), South (19.0), and Northeast (18.6).

Lung Cancer

Men

• The incidence rate for the United States is 68.1.
  Incidence rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (75.9), followed by the Midwest (74.1), Northeast (67.6), and West (49.8).
• The death rate for the United States is 52.0.
  Death rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (58.5), followed by the Midwest (58.1), Northeast (48.3), and West (38.2).

Women

• The incidence rate for the United States is 50.8.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (56.2), followed by the Northeast (54.4), South (51.6), and West (40.9).
• The death rate for the United States is 34.7.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (39.0), followed by the South (36.2), Northeast (33.9), and West (28.7).

Colorectal (Colon) Cancer

Men

• The incidence rate for the United States is 44.0.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (46.1), followed by the South (45.1), Northeast (44.6), and West (39.8).
• The death rate for the United States is 16.9.
  Death rates are highest in the South U.S. Census region (17.8), followed by the Midwest (17.4), Northeast (16.1), and West (15.4).

Women

• The incidence rate for the United States is 32.8.
  Incidence rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (35.7), followed by the Northeast (34.5), South (33.7), and West (30.7).
• The death rate for the United States is 11.9.
  Death rates are highest in the Midwest U.S. Census region (12.7), followed by the South (12.2), Northeast (11.6), and West (10.7).

Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2014 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2017. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.