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Health Indicator Report of Cancer Deaths

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in both the U.S. and in Utah. A cancer diagnosis places a significant burden on the social, emotional, financial, and mental wellbeing of patients. The financial costs of cancer are substantial both for patients and health care systems on the whole. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that the direct medical costs (total of all health care costs) for cancer in the US in 2015 were $80.2 billion.^1^ Cancer comes in many different forms. Cancers generally develop over several years and can have many causes. Several factors both inside and outside the body may contribute to the development of cancer. Some of these factors include genetic mutations, tobacco and alcohol use, poor diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive sunlight exposure. Other factors may include exposure to ionizing radiation and environmental chemicals that may be present in the workplace, food, air, or water such as asbestos, benzene, and arsenic. --- 1 Economic Impact of Cancer, American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/economic-impact-of-cancer.html

Cancer Death Rate, Utah and U.S., 1999-2020

Notes

ICD-10 codes C00-C97. Age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population.

Data Sources

  • Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
  • Population Estimates: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) through a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Census Bureau, IBIS Version 2020
  • U.S. Cancer Statistics: WONDER Online Database. United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute. Accessed at [http://wonder.cdc.gov/cancer.html]

Definition

The rate of death from all cancers per 100,000 persons.

Numerator

Number of deaths due to cancer (ICD-10 codes C00-C97).

Denominator

Population of Utah or U.S. for a given time period.

Healthy People Objective C-1:

Reduce the overall cancer death rate
U.S. Target: 161.4 deaths per 100,000 population

Other Objectives

Utah's 42 Community Health Indicators[[br]] CSTE Chronic Disease Indicators

How Are We Doing?

The age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in Utah has generally decreased over the last 30 years. In 2020, the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in Utah was 119.5 deaths per 100,000 people, down from a rate of 131.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2010. There are differences in cancer mortality rates throughout Utah based on geography, race, ethnicity, age, and sex. For years 2018-2020, the Tooele County Local Health District (LHD) had the highest cancer mortality rate (141.6 deaths per 100,000 persons) in the state compared to other LHDs, while the Summit County LHD had the lowest (89.5 deaths per 100,000 persons). Differences in cancer mortality rates can also be seen within each LHD at the Utah Small Area level (see Small Area Data View). Non-Hispanic persons had a significantly higher rate of cancer mortality (117.2 deaths per 100,000 persons) than Hispanic persons (91.1 deaths per 100,000 persons), based on age-adjusted data from 2018-2020. For that same time period, those who racially identify as Black and Pacific Islander had the highest rates of cancer mortality (135.2 deaths per 100,000 persons and 166.4 deaths per 100,000 persons, respectively) when compared to all other races, while those who identify as Asian or American Indian/Alaskan Native had a significantly lower rate of cancer mortality (75.7 deaths per 100,000 persons and 71.7 deaths per 100,000 persons, respectively; both are statistically significant) compared to all other races. The rate of cancer death significantly increases with age, regardless of sex. For ages 0-54, women are more likely to die as a result of cancer than men, though after age 55, men are more likely to die as a result of cancer than women. See additional data views for more detailed information.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The age-adjusted overall cancer mortality rate in Utah has been consistently lower than the U.S. rate for the last 30 years. The latest comparative data reports from 2018 indicate that the Utah cancer death rate was 120.5 deaths per 100,000 persons, significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 149.2 deaths per 100,000 persons.

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Comprehensive Cancer Control program (CCC) and its affiliated coalition, the Utah Cancer Action Network (UCAN), work together with state and local partners to reduce the burden of cancer in Utah. Their mission is to lower cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality in Utah through collaborative efforts directed toward cancer prevention and control. As a result, they support community-based strategies around food security, healthy neighborhoods, access to health care, and financial toxicity in order to prevent cancer; detect cancer early; and improve the lives of cancer survivors, caregivers, and their families.

Available Services

The Utah Cancer Control Program (UCCP) provides free to low cost clinical breast exams, mammogram, pelvic exams, and Pap smears to women aged 21-64 who are uninsured/under-insured with low to moderate income. In addition, the UCCP provides education about the need for early detection and the availability of screening services, supports health systems and employers throughout Utah to increase availability of cancer screening and create policies around cancer screening, and evaluates and disseminates information about breast and cervical cancers to community stakeholders. Women in need of cancer treatment are enrolled into Medicaid as per the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act. Visit [http://www.cancerutah.org] or call 1-800-717-1811 for more information or to see if you qualify for free mammography services.

Health Program Information

In 1976, the Utah Department of Health received a cervical cancer grant from the National Cancer Institute. In 1980, the Utah Department of Health began providing clinical breast exams and Pap tests on a sliding fee scale. In 1993, state funding was appropriated for mammography. That same year, the Utah Cancer Control Program (UCCP) first received a capacity building grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lay the groundwork for breast and cervical cancer screening in Utah. A five year comprehensive grant was awarded to the program in 1994 to continue breast and cervical cancer screening. In October 1999, this grant was renewed for an additional five years. The UCCP continues to receive funding from the CDC for breast and cervical cancer screenings. With this funding, the UCCP and partners, including local health departments, mammography facilities, pathology laboratories, and private providers, have worked together to ensure the appropriate and timely provision of clinical services. Additionally, the Utah Comprehensive Cancer Control program (CCC) receives funding to implement cancer prevention and control strategies identified by the program and the Utah Cancer Action Network (UCAN) coalition. Starting in 2014, the UCCP also received funding from the CDC to implement cancer genomics strategies focused on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (associated with BRCA1/2 mutations) and Lynch syndrome cancers, specifically colorectal and uterine.
Page Content Updated On 04/14/2022, Published on 11/10/2022
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.state.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Tue, 19 March 2024 4:09:44 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.gov ".

Content updated: Thu, 10 Nov 2022 17:33:30 MST