Where in America is a Women Most Likely to Be Diagnosed with Cancer?

March 26, 2013, 8:30 PM UTC

By Cynthia Ramnarace

Kentucky women hold the unenviable distinction of having the nation’s highest rates of two cancers: lung and colorectal. Washington is not much better, with the highest number of ovarian cancers and the fifth highest number of breast cancers. Oklahoma has the worst cervical cancer rate and Vermont women have the most skin cancer cases.

But in Utah and New Mexico, cancer rates are lower than the rest of the country. Utah has the nation’s lowest rate of lung and colorectal cancer, the second lowest cervical cancer rate and the fifth lowest ovarian cancer rate. In New Mexico, rates of colon, breast, skin and lung cancer all fall among the 10 lowest.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women, followed by breast, colorectal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Getting screened can help save lives. In Massachusetts, for example, women have the highest breast cancer rate in the country. But that doesn’t translate to the worst breast cancer death rate (Alaska holds that distinction). That’s likely because Massachusetts boasts the nation’s best mammogram rate.

Here’s how the states rank for each cancer, from lowest rate to highest. All rates are per 100,000 women. Numbers for Wisconsin were not available.

Breast Cancer

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	Arkansas	101.9
2	West Virginia	102.3
3	Arizona	110.2
4	New Mexico	111.6
5	Texas	112.5
6	Utah	113.1
7	Nevada	113.2
8	Indiana	114
9	Michigan	114.5
10	Wyoming	114.7
11	Louisiana	115.3
12	Florida	115.6
13	Mississippi	117.7
13	Ohio	117.7
15	Montana	118.3
16	Idaho	118.6
17	North Dakota	118.7
18	South Carolina	118.8
19	Tennessee	119.3
20	Wisconsin	119.7
21	Kentucky	120.1
22	Georgia	120.9
23	South Dakota	121
24	Iowa	121.3
24	Kansas	121.3
26	Alabama	121.4
27	North Carolina	122.7
28	Colorado	124
29	Illinois	124.3
30	Missouri	124.4
31	Vermont	124.7
32	Maine	124.8
33	Virginia	124.9
34	Oklahoma	125
35	California	125.1
36	New York	125.8
37	Oregon	126.7
38	Minnesota	127.3
39	Delaware	127.8
40	Pennsylvania	127.9
41	Hawaii	128.5
42	Nebraska	128.7
43	New Jersey	129.8
44	Maryland	130.3
45	Alaska	131.9
46	Washington	132.4
47	New Hampshire	133.5
48	Rhode Island	136.3
49	Connecticut	136.5
50	Massachusetts	139.5

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, 2008

Cervical Cancer

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	Vermont	4.7
2	Utah	4.8
2	Idaho	4.8
4	New Hampshire	5.1
5	Massachusetts	5.5
6	Colorado	6
7	Connecticut	6.2
7	Virginia	6.2
9	Rhode Island	6.3
10	Maine	6.4
11	Minnesota	6.5
12	Maryland	6.6
12	Arizona	6.6
14	South Dakota	6.8
15	Iowa	6.9
15	North Carolina	6.9
17	New Mexico	7
18	Michigan	7.1
19	Kansas	7.2
19	Montana	7.2
21	Nevada	7.3
22	Indiana	7.4
22	Oregon	7.4
24	Ohio	7.6
24	Washington	7.6
26	California	7.8
27	North Dakota	8
27	New York	8
29	Illinois	8.1
29	Pennsylvania	8.1
31	Georgia	8.2
32	Nebraska	8.4
32	Missouri	8.4
34	New Jersey	8.6
34	Wyoming	8.6
34	Louisiana	8.6
37	Mississippi	8.7
38	Delaware	8.9
39	Alabama	9
39	Kentucky	9
41	Tennessee	9.2
42	Texas	9.4
43	Florida	9.5
43	South Carolina	9.5
45	Hawaii	9.6
46	Alaska	9.9
46	Arkansas	9.9
48	West Virginia	10.1
49	Oklahoma	10.9
50	Wisconsin	No statistical data

Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009

Colorectal Cancer

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	Utah	29.6
2	New Mexico	30.8
3	Arizona	31
4	Colorado	31.9
5	South Carolina	32.2
6	Idaho	33
7	Montana	33.6
8	Arkansas	33.8
9	Nevada	33.9
10	Vermont	34.4
11	Maryland	34.5
11	Texas	34.5
13	New Hampshire	34.6
13	Virginia	34.6
15	Florida	34.7
16	North Carolina	35.3
17	Delaware	35.7
18	Rhode Island	35.9
19	California	36
20	Kansas	36.2
21	Wyoming	36.5
22	Massachusetts	36.6
22	Oregon	36.6
24	Georgia	37.1
25	Michigan	37.3
26	Ohio	37.5
26	Tennessee	37.5
28	Washington	37.6
29	Missouri	37.8
30	Minnesota	38
31	South Dakota	38.4
32	New York	38.5
33	Connecticut	38.7
34	Alabama	38.9
35	New Jersey	39
36	Hawaii	39.7
37	Indiana	39.8
38	Alaska	40.1
38	Illinois	40.1
40	Oklahoma	40.3
41	North Dakota	40.5
41	West Virginia	40.5
43	Pennsylvania	40.6
44	Maine	40.7
44	Nebraska	40.7
46	Louisiana	41.5
47	Iowa	42
48	Mississippi	43.4
49	Kentucky	47.2
50	Wisconsin	No statistical data available

Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009

Lung Cancer

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	Utah	22.2
2	New Mexico	38.5
3	Hawaii	40.6
4	Idaho	42.8
5	Wyoming	43.5
6	Colorado	43.7
7	California	44.3
8	South Dakota	45.5
9	Nebraska	46.6
10	Texas	46.8
11	Arizona	48.3
12	North Dakota	48.5
13	Minnesota	50.2
14	South Carolina	50.8
15	Maryland	51.8
16	Georgia	53.1
17	New Jersey	53.7
18	New York	53.9
19	Virginia	54.4
20	Alabama	54.8
21	Alaska	54.9
22	Washington	55
23	Montana	55.5
24	Iowa	55.6
24	Arkansas	55.6
26	Louisiana	56
27	Mississippi	56.1
28	Oregon	56.2
29	Florida	56.6
30	North Carolina	56.7
31	Kansas	56.8
32	Michigan	57
33	Pennsylvania	57.5
34	Ohio	58.5
35	Oklahoma	59.1
36	Delaware	60.3
36	New Hampshire	60.3
38	Connecticut	60.5
39	Illinois	60.8
40	Massachusetts	61.2
41	Tennessee	61.7
42	Indiana	62.1
43	Nevada	62.4
44	Missouri	63.4
45	Rhode Island	65.5
46	West Virginia	65.6
47	Vermont	65.7
48	Maine	68.9
49	Kentucky	78.7
50	Wisconsin	No statistical data

Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009

Ovarian Cancer

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	South Carolina	9.1
1	Arkansas	9.1
3	Alaska	9.5
4	South Dakota	9.7
5	Utah	9.8
5	Missouri	9.8
7	Nebraska	9.9
8	Nevada	10
9	Mississippi	10.2
10	Louisiana	10.3
11	Oklahoma	10.5
11	New Mexico	10.5
11	North Dakota	10.5
14	Maine	10.8
15	Kentucky	10.9
15	Idaho	10.9
17	Vermont	11
18	New Hampshire	11.2
18	Arizona	11.2
19	West Virginia	11.2
21	Texas	11.3
22	Hawaii	11.4
22	Maryland	11.4
22	Florida	11.4
25	Delaware	11.6
26	Minnesota	11.8
26	Indiana	11.8
28	Illinois	11.9
28	Tennessee	11.9
28	Rhode Island	11.9
28	Wyoming	11.9
32	Montana	12.1
32	Ohio	12.1
32	Michigan	12.1
35	Alabama	12.2
35	California	12.2
35	Oregon	12.2
35	Georgia	12.2
39	Colorado	12.3
40	North Carolina	12.4
40	Virginia	12.4
42	Massachusetts	12.5
42	New Jersey	12.5
44	Connecticut	12.6
45	New York	12.7
45	Iowa	12.7
47	Pennsylvania	13.1
47	Kansas	13.1
49	Washington	13.3
50	Wisconsin	No statistical data

Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009

Skin Cancer (Melanoma)

Rank	State	Per 100,000 Women
1	Alaska	9.1
2	Texas	9.9
3	Arizona	11.9
4	Louisiana	12.4
5	Arkansas	12.7
6	South Dakota	12.9
7	New Mexico	13.3
8	Mississippi	13.4
9	Florida	13.5
10	Illinois	13.6
11	Nevada	13.7
12	Virginia	13.9
12	New York	13.9
14	Oklahoma	14.1
15	Indiana	14.2
16	Missouri	14.9
16	Wyoming	14.9
18	California	15.5
19	Maryland	15.6
20	Georgia	15.9
20	Hawaii	15.9
22	Nebraska	16
23	New Jersey	16.3
24	Pennsylvania	16.8
25	Alabama	17.1
26	Michigan	17.2
27	Colorado	17.5
28	Ohio	17.6
28	South Carolina	17.6
30	Massachusetts	18.1
31	Rhode Island	18.2
32	Kansas	18.3
33	Tennessee	18.4
34	Kentucky	18.6
35	Maine	18.9
36	Connecticut	19
37	West Virginia	19.3
38	North Carolina	19.4
39	Montana	19.8
40	New Hampshire	20.2
41	Iowa	20.9
42	Washington	21.7
43	Oregon	21.9
44	North Dakota	22.2
45	Idaho	22.4
46	Delaware	22.8
47	Utah	23.6
48	Minnesota	24.6
49	Vermont	27.6
50	Wisconsin	No statistical data

Source: National Cancer Institute, 2009

See the State of Women methodology and sources.

A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.