Health Indicator Report of Lung Cancer Deaths
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both Utah and the U.S. Because lung cancer 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 medical history of tuberculosis. Genetic susceptibility also plays a contributing role in the development of lung cancer, especially in those who develop the disease at a younger age.
Notes
Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 standard population using 10 age groups.Data Sources
- Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for Counties in Utah, U.S. Bureau of the Census, IBIS Version 2020
Definition
The rate of death from lung cancer (ICD-10: C33-C34) per 100,000 persons.Numerator
The number of deaths due to lung cancer for a given time period (ICD-10: C33-C34).Denominator
The population of Utah or U.S. for a given time period.Healthy People Objective: Reduce the lung cancer death rate
U.S. Target: 45.5 deaths per 100,000 populationOther Objectives
Utah's 42 Community Health Indicators[[br]] CSTE Chronic Disease IndicatorsHow Are We Doing?
The age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rate in Utah has generally been significantly lower than the U.S. rate. The age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rate in Utah significantly decreased from 26.4 deaths per 100,000 persons in 2004 to 15.2 deaths per 100,000 persons in 2020. Lung cancer mortality rates in Utah vary by geography. For combined years 2018-2020, the Southeast Local Health District had the highest lung cancer death rate in the state at 24.6 deaths per 100,000 persons. Conversely, Utah County Local Health District had the lowest lung cancer death rate in the state at 11.0 deaths per 100,000 persons. Geographical distribution of lung cancer deaths can also be viewed in more detail at the Utah Small Area level (see additional data views). For combined years 2018-2020, those of Hispanic ethnicity had a significantly lower rate of lung cancer deaths (11.52 per 100,000 persons) compared to those of non-Hispanic ethnicity (16.2 deaths per 100,000 persons). When looking at lung cancer mortality rates by race for combined years 2016-2020, those who identified as Pacific Islander and Black had significantly higher lung cancer death rates (22.6 deaths per 100,000 persons and 19.8 deaths per 100,000 persons, respectively) compared to those of other racial groups.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
The age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rate in Utah has generally been significantly lower than the U.S. rate. The latest data from 2018 indicate that the U.S. lung cancer mortality rate was 34.8 deaths per 100,000 persons compared to the Utah lung cancer mortality rate of 16.5 deaths per 100,000 persons (roughly half of the national lung cancer mortality rate).What Is Being Done?
Since nearly 90% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, public health programs aim to reduce lung cancer by focusing on tobacco prevention and control. The Utah Tobacco Prevention and Control Program coordinates efforts to accomplish the following four goals: prevent youth from starting to use tobacco, help tobacco users quit, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, and reduce tobacco-related health disparities. 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 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. 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 TPCP monitors smoking prevalence among adult Utahns through the statewide Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and among students through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Free services that assist smokers with quitting include the Utah Tobacco Quit Line, a web-based cessation service, and school- and community-based quit programs for teens, adults, and pregnant women. Access to all of these resources are available at [https://www.quitnow.net/Utah].Health Program Information
Free services that assist smokers with quitting include the Utah Tobacco Quit Line, a web-based cessation service, and school- and community-based quit programs for teens, adults, and pregnant women. Access to all of these resources are available at [https://www.quitnow.net/Utah].
Page Content Updated On 04/14/2022,
Published on 04/27/2022
