5 cities with the highest rates of lung cancer
Lung cancer is among the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in our country. While smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle are the major risk factors associated with lung cancer, the disease can also result from breathing poor quality air. Places with a lot of air pollution are therefore known to report more lung cancer cases. In this article, we have listed five cities that have the highest rates of lung cancer.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky, is one of those places that reports the maximum number of new lung cancer incidents. This city reports approximately 765 new lung cancer cases every year and about 501 lung cancer-related deaths.
Marion County
Situated in Indiana, Marion County ranks jest below Jefferson County when it comes to lung cancer cases. The county registers approximately 77.2 new cases of lung cancer per 100,000 people every year. It also reports 506 lung cancer deaths per year on average.
Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming, was once one of the wealthiest counties of our country and was known for its cattle industry. Today, unfortunately, it ranks among the cities with the most number of cancer patients. The region has a high prevalence of respiratory tract inflammatory diseases, which increases the risk of lung cancer. Besides lung cancer, Cheyenne reports several cases of cancers found in the bronchus, breast, prostate, colon, and rectum.
El Paso
Also known as the “Six Shooter Capital” of Texas, El Paso is the birthplace of our favorite cocktail, the margarita. Sadly, many people living in El Paso are active smokers and are thus highly susceptible to lung cancer and other respiratory disorders. Other common cancers observed in El Paso are acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the oral cavity, stomach, liver, kidney, and renal pelvis.
Tulsa
While people living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, do not indulge in binge drinking, the city fares poorly in terms of smoking. It has the eighth-highest number of smokers in the country. Unsurprisingly then, three in ten cancer-related deaths in Tulsa on average are attributed to smoking. The habit is also the leading cause of lung cancer in the city’s population.
