Cancer Incidence, Mortality Rates Declining in Appalachia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Feb. 13, 2025 -- Cancer incidence and mortality rates are declining in Appalachia, but they are still significantly higher than among non-Appalachian residents, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Todd Burus, from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and colleagues examined recent rates and trends in Appalachian cancer outcomes. Five-year age-adjusted U.S. cancer incidence and mortality rates were calculated for 2017 to 2021, stratified into Appalachian and non-Appalachian populations, as well as Appalachian subregions.
The researchers found that all-site cancer incidence (466.6 per 100,000 people) and mortality rates (165.5 per 100,000) were significantly higher among Appalachian residents versus non-Appalachian residents (5.6 and 12.8 percent, respectively) in 2017 to 2021. The highest rates of all-site cancer incidence and mortality (495.9 and 201.9 per 100,000, respectively) were seen in the Central subregion within Appalachia, predominantly Eastern Kentucky. The Central subregion also had the highest rates of lung and colorectal cancer incidence and cervical cancer mortality. Since 2004, there was a significant decrease in all-site cancer incidence and mortality rates among Appalachian individuals (−0.33 and −1.39 percent per year, respectively); in Appalachia, there were site-specific incidence rate decreases for late-stage lung, late-stage colorectal, and late-stage female breast cancers (−2.19, −0.75, and −0.35 percent per year, respectively).
"Analysis within Appalachia revealed unequal cancer outcomes across Appalachian subregions, with the highest rates among Central Appalachian residents -- indicating the need for more targeted research to further address and delineate socioeconomic, behavioral, environmental, and biological causes of this disparity," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
Fewer Opioids Being Prescribed for Low Back Pain in the Emergency Department
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- From 2016 to 2022, 5.3 percent of all U.S. emergency department visits were related to low back pain, with opioid administration and prescription...
ENDO: AI Model Integrated Into Retina Tracker IDs Diabetic Retinopathy
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- An artificial intelligence (AI) model integrated into a retina tracker for diabetic retinopathy can achieve high accuracy while being resource-efficient...
Dogs Can Differentiate Between People With Parkinson Disease, Controls
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- Dogs can differentiate between dry skin swab samples from people with Parkinson disease (PwP) and controls, according to a study published online July 14...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.