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Health Indicator Report of Lung Cancer Incidence

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Utah and the U.S. Because symptoms often do not appear until the disease is advanced, early detection of this cancer is difficult. 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 occupational or environmental exposure to secondhand smoke, radon, asbestos (particularly among smokers), certain metals (chromium, cadmium, arsenic), some organic chemicals, radiation, air pollution, and a medical history of tuberculosis. Genetic susceptibility plays a contributing role in the development of lung cancer, especially in those who develop the disease at a younger age.

Lung Cancer Age-adjusted Incidence Rate by Year, Utah and U.S., 2000-2017

Notes

Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 population. [[br]] ^ ^*U.S. data available through 2016.

Data Sources

  • Cancer data provided by the Utah Cancer Registry, supported by the National Cancer Institute (HHSN261201800016I), the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NU58DP0063200), the University of Utah, and Huntsman Cancer Foundation
  • Population Estimates: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) through a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Census Bureau, IBIS Version 2016
  • 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 lung cancer incidence in Utah per 100,000 population.

Numerator

The number of incidents of lung cancer among Utah residents for a given time period (ICD-10: C33-C34).

Denominator

The population of Utah or U.S. for a specific time period.

How Are We Doing?

In 2017, the Utah lung cancer incidence rate was 24.98 cases per 100,000 people. This rate has not changed much since 2000. Lung cancer incidence increases with age, especially over the age of 65. Men over the age of 65 are diagnosed with lung cancer at significantly higher rates (174.1 cases per 100,000 men) than women of the same age group (119.6 cases per 100,000 women). Geographically, lung cancer incidence rates range from a low of 16.1 cases per 100,000 people in Utah County LHD to a high of 38.4 cases per 100,000 people in TriCounty LHD (see County and Small Area views for additional information on lung cancer incidence by geography). For combined data years 2014-2016, there was no significant difference in lung cancer incidence rates between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Utahns. However, those who racially identify as Black or African American had significantly higher lung cancer incidence rates (58.5 cases per 100,000 persons) compared to the overall state rate (25.7 cases per 100,000 persons) for the same time period.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The lung cancer incidence rate in Utah is approximately half the U.S. rate. In 2016 (the most recent national data available), the U.S. lung cancer incidence rate was 56 lung cancer cases per 100,000 people compared to the Utah rate of 25.6 cases per 100,000 people.

What Is Being Done?

Since nearly 90% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, public health programs to reduce lung cancer focus on tobacco prevention and control. Utah's statewide Tobacco Prevention and Control Program coordinates efforts to accomplish the following four goals: to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco, to help tobacco users quit, to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, and to reduce tobacco-related disparities. In addition, the Utah Department of Health initiated the Utah Cancer Action Network (UCAN), a statewide partnership whose goal is to reduce the burden of cancer. The mission of the UCAN is to lower cancer incidence and mortality in Utah through collaborative efforts directed toward cancer prevention and control. As a result of this planning process, objectives and strategies have been developed by community partners regarding the early detection of cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers as well as the promotion of physical activity, healthy eating habits, melanoma cancer prevention and cancer survivorship advocacy.

Available Services

The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) provides technical expertise and coordination at state and community levels to prevent and reduce tobacco use in Utah. TPCP programs include statewide and community based services to help smokers quit, The TRUTH anti-tobacco marketing campaign, and youth tobacco prevention partnerships with local health departments, schools, and community agencies. Free services that assist smokers with quitting include the Utah Tobacco Quit Line (1-888-567-TRUTH), a web-based cessation service ([http://www.utahquitnet.com www.utahquitnet.com]), and school- and community-based quit programs for teens, adults, and pregnant women. Further efforts to reduce the negative health effects of tobacco use focus on strengthening tobacco-free policies and reducing youth access to tobacco products. The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program monitors smoking prevalence among adult Utahns through the statewide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and among students through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Health Program Information

Free services that assist smokers with quitting include the Utah Tobacco Quit Line (1-888-567-TRUTH), a web-based cessation service ([http://www.utahquitnet.com www.utahquitnet.com]), and school- and community-based quit programs for teens, adults, and pregnant women.
Page Content Updated On 02/21/2020, Published on 03/12/2021
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 0:25:13 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.gov ".

Content updated: Fri, 12 Mar 2021 13:23:16 MST