Can Your State Give You Breast Cancer?

Does living in Massachusetts increase your risk of getting breast cancer? Would moving to Louisiana or the District of Columbia be a deadly proposition? Just glancing at the Centers for Disease Control's data on state-by-state rates of diagnosis and death from breast cancer might cause you to think so. But even if your state ranks high on either list, that doesn't necessarily mean that you as an individual have anything more to worry about.

Factors such as general access to screening facilities and the overall quality of health care can have a powerful influence on a state’s incidence and death rates. And other risk factors—such as late childbearing or choosing not to breastfeed—tend to be unequally distributed across the United States. Above all, it's important to remember that these collective measures may—or may not—have any impact on your own situation. When looking at your own risk, consider individual factors first: your age, family history, and aspects of your lifestyle that you can control. And be vigilant about screening, because regular mammograms, clinical exams, and self-examinations can catch tumors early and dramatically improve your prognosis, regardless of where you live.


Female Breast Cancer Incidence Rates,* by State, 2004†
The darker shading in the map below represents a higher incidence of breast cancer (per 100,000 women) in that state in 2004.

Female Breast Cancer Death Rates,* by State, 2004†
The darker shading in the map below represents higher breast cancer death rates (per 100,000 women) in that state in 2004.
Age-Adjusted Invasive Breast Cancer Incidence and Death Rates by State for 2004

State	Female Breast Cancer Incidence Rate for 2004*	Female Breast Cancer Death Rate for 2004*
Alabama	109.1	24.1
Alaska	113.1	18.7
Arizona	102.9	21.9
Arkansas	106.1	24.9
California	117.9	23.2
Colorado	118.1	22.8
Connecticut	129.9	24.7
Delaware	115.7	26.2
District of Columbia	129.4	27.6
Florida	109.2	23.5
Georgia	121.5	26.0
Hawaii	119.9	15.6
Idaho	105.1	21.9
Illinois	117.9	25.4
Indiana	108.1	24.0
Iowa	119.5	22.2
Kansas	119.1	22.4
Kentucky	116.5	24.3
Louisiana	120.0	27.6
Maine	123.0	21.2
Maryland	Area did not meet USCS data quality criteria	26.9
Massachusetts	134.0	24.1
Michigan	119.0	24.3
Minnesota	123.7	22.4
Mississippi	108.5	27.3
Missouri	117.5	25.5
Montana	111.5	24.3
Nebraska	123.7	23.4
Nevada	106.4	25.8
New Hampshire	127.9	23.5
New Jersey	129.5	25.9
New Mexico	108.2	23.5
New York	122.8	24.3
North Carolina	115.8	25.6
North Dakota	121.2	21.7
Ohio	118.9	27.0
Oklahoma	125.0	22.5
Oregon	131.5	24.1
Pennsylvania	123.1	27.3
Rhode Island	130.1	21.6
South Carolina	112.5	23.1
South Dakota	109.4	22.0
Tennessee	109.3	25.7
Texas	109.5	23.2
Utah	113.7	22.7
Vermont	127.6	24.2
Virginia	121.1	25.4
Washington	130.7	23.3
West Virginia	114.2	24.7
Wisconsin	114.9	23.4
Wyoming	113.3	24.5

*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
†Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2007.