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.