The most common cancer diagnosis in Alabama
In the U.S., Breast cancer is the most common form of the more than 200 types of the disease. But it’s not the most common form in Alabama, according to a recent analysis of American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center by 24/7 Tempo.
According to the analysis, nearly 280,000 women in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. The cancer is overwhelmingly more common in women, with only about 1% of cases affecting males. The second most common type, prostate cancer, affects the male reproductive system.
If caught early, breast and prostate cancers have high survival rates. According to 24/7 Tempo, more than 90% of people with these cancers will live beyond five years of diagnosis and most of them will survive beyond a decade and die from other causes.
Overall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a 27% decline in overall cancer mortality – from nearly 197 to about 144 deaths per 100,000 people between 2001 and 2020 – thanks to earlier diagnoses, better treatments, and a significant drop in tobacco use, the leading cause of lung and bronchus cancer, the analysis noted.
Most common cancer diagnosis in Alabama
According to the analysis, the most common cancer diagnosis in Alabama is prostate cancer with 5,320 new cases reported in 2023 with an overall 540 deaths this year attributed to the disease.
The second most common was breast cancer with 4,500 new cases in women and 720 deaths in 2023. The third most common was lung and bronchus cancer with 4,280 new cases and 2,610 deaths.
In all, there will be an estimated 30,730 new cancer cases in Alabama this year, the 23rd highest in the U.S. The state with the largest number of new cancer cases for 2023 – 192,770 – is California, where breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of the disease.