Cancer statistics require careful interpretation. See the information page about interpret rankings for insight into interpreting cancer statistics particularly if you are a new user of cancer statistics.

There are many possible explanations for geographic variations in cancer mortality rates including differences in lifestyles, medical care availability and delivery systems, screening practices, reporting practices, environmental exposures, etc. Elevated rates in some areas may also be due to chance, particularly for relatively rare cancers and in areas with small populations. For more information on geographic variations and cancer clusters, see http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/clusters and http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/about_clusters.htm

The rate was not classified within one of the group numbers.

Created by statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov on 01/30/2009 8:28 pm.
State Cancer Registries may provide more current or more local data.
Data presented on the State Cancer Profiles Web Site may differ from statistics reported by the State Cancer Registries ( for more information ).
^‡ The time period for the data on this map varies by geography, please see the 'rate period' column for the year range associated with the rate.
^† Incidence rates (cases per 100,000 population per year) are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (19 age groups: <1, 1-4, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85+). Rates are for invasive cancer only (except for bladder which is invasive and in situ) or unless otherwise specified. Rates calculated using SEER*Stat. Population counts for denominators are based on Census populations as modified by NCI. The US populations included with the data release have been adjusted for the population shifts due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita for 62 counties and parishes in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas (See US Population Data - 1969-2005 for more information.)
¹ Source: CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System (NPCR-CSS) January 2007 data submission and SEER November 2006 submission as published in United States Cancer Statistics 2004.
² Source: State Cancer Registry and the CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System (NPCR-CSS) January 2007 data submission as published in United States Cancer Statistics 2004.
³ Source: SEER November 2007 submission. State Cancer Registry also receives funding from CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries.
⁴ Source: State Cancer Registry and the CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries Cancer Surveillance System (NPCR-CSS) January 2007 data submission as published in United States Cancer Statistics 2004. State rates include rates from areas funded by SEER.
^§ Data not provided because it did not meet USCS data quality standards for one or more years during the rate period of data collection. While 96% of the US population resided in geographic areas with population-based cancer registries meeting the registry eligibility criteria for 2004, 4% of the US population was not yet represented in the United States Cancer Statistics. American Cancer Society's Facts & Figures provides estimates of numbers of new cancer cases and deaths.
^# Data do not include cases diagnosed in other states because data exchange agreements prohibit the release of data to third parties.
Because of the impact on Louisiana's population for the July - December 2005 time period due to
Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, SEER excluded Louisiana cases diagnosed for that six month time period.
So the count has been suppressed due to data consistency issues.