By Emily Joshu Health Reporter for Dailymail.Com
16:56 Jul 12, 2024, updated 19:20 Jul 12, 2024
An official U.S. map shows where America’s biggest cancer hotspots are, with large parts of the South and Midwest in red.
This follows a major study earlier this week that found nearly half of cancer deaths in the US are attributable to six decisions people make in their daily lives.
The map — based on the most recent data from the CDC — shows that the cancer death rate is highest in Mississippi, with 985 deaths per 100,000 people.
The top five is rounded out by states in the South, where rates of obesity, smoking and alcohol use are higher than the US average, and health care is more spotty.
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The figures show mortality rates from 2016 to 2020, the most recent data available.
According to the Mississippi State Health Department, the high number of cases is due to a lack of preventive screenings, particularly in rural areas, and a lack of physical activity across the state.
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West Virginia ranked second, with 966.4 deaths per 100,000 residents. This could be attributed to high obesity rates.
Southern states rounded out the top five, including Kentucky with 947.2 cases per 100,000, Alabama with 941.7 and Tennessee with 916.2.
Hawaii had the lowest rate of cancer deaths, with 573.9 cases per 100,000 residents.
Experts have noted that this may be due to low rates of cancer-causing risk factors such as obesity and smoking.
These findings follow a shocking report from the American Cancer Society, which found that nearly half of all cancer deaths in the US could have been prevented, as they are linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking, eating red meat, lack of exercise and too much sunlight.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year and more than 600,000 will die from it.
Lung and bronchial cancers are predicted to cause the most deaths: 125,000. This is followed by colorectal cancer, a disease that is becoming increasingly common among young Americans.
According to NCI data, most cancer deaths in Mississippi are caused by lung and bronchial cancer, with lung cancer deaths 30 percent higher than the national average.
According to Truth Initiative, an organization that works to prevent tobacco use, about 17 percent of adults in Mississippi smoke, compared to 14 percent nationwide.
In addition, a report from the Mississippi Department of Public Health stated that “our high cancer rates and cancer deaths are caused partly by a lack of regular cancer screening tests and partly by lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity.”
For example, data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows that Mississippi is the fifth state with the highest obesity rate.
Experts believe that excess body fat changes the way the body regulates hormones and inflammation, which can lead to an increased risk of cancer.
West Virginia ranks second, possibly due to its high smoking rate and lack of preventive screening.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health, more than one in four adults smoke cigarettes every day or some days, and just over half have tried to quit in the past year. That’s the lowest rate in the United States.
Recent data from the CDC shows that the Mountain State has the highest obesity rate in the country, with 41 percent of adults having a BMI over 30.
Kentucky also has the third highest cancer death rate, which experts say is because the state has the highest lung cancer rates in the country and the highest smoking rate in the country.
The NCI found that Hawaii had the lowest rate of cancer deaths between 2016 and 2020, at 573.9 per 100,000 residents.
That could be because the Aloha State has the highest life expectancy in the country, averaging 80.7 years, according to the CDC.
A 2022 Commonwealth Fund study found that Hawaii ranked highest among all 50 states in health care system performance, suggesting more screenings are being done to detect the disease early.
As of 2022, Hawaii also had the second lowest obesity rate, after Colorado.
California, New York, Minnesota and Connecticut rounded out the bottom five results.