Indicator Profile of Lung Cancer Deaths
Why Is This Important?
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Utah and the U.S. It is estimated that lung cancer will be responsible for nearly 29% of all cancer deaths (approximately 160,390 U.S. deaths) in 2007.(1) Because symptoms often do not appear until the disease is advanced, early detection of this cancer is difficult. Smoking accounts for 87% of lung cancer deaths.(1)Cigarette smoking is the single most important risk factor for lung cancer. There are more than 80 carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Other risk factors include diet, family history, and genetic factors. Some environmental risk factors include exposure to arsenic, asbestos, diesel exhaust, uranium, radon, and some studies show that pollution is associated with lung cancer.
Data Notes
Codes used to define lung cancer: ICD-9 162.2-162.9, ICD-10 C33-C34. ICD-10 definition also includes cancer of the trachea. However, there were no deaths in Utah from cancer of the trachea from 1995 to 1999, suggesting that this change has resulted in little or no artifactual difference in comparing death rates from the two time periods. Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 standard population.Data Sources
Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health; Population Estimates: Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget; National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;Other Views
Definition
The rate of death from lung cancer among Utah or U.S. residents per 100,000 persons.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | The number of deaths due to lung cancer among Utah or U.S. residents for a given time period (ICD-10: C33-C34). |
| Denominator: | The population of Utah or U.S. for a given time period. |
Page Content Updated On 10/23/07,
Published on 07/17/08
