Figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have revealed that approximately 2.4 million cases of tobacco-related cancers were diagnosed between 1999 and 2004. Lung cancer and bronchial cancer accounted for roughly half of the diagnoses.
Statistics showed that the incidence of tobacco-related cancers was highest in men, black and non-Hispanic populations, and people aged 70 and over. Geographically, the highest incidence of lung and laryngeal cancer occurred in the South, which is consistent with high smoking patterns in the South.
According to Matthew McKenna, MD, MPH, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, “Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, and the most prominent cause of cancer.” In 2006, an estimated 20.8% of American adults (45.3 million people) smoked cigarettes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for Cancers Associated with Tobacco Use United States, 1999–2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries. September 5, 2008 / Vol. 57 / No. SS–8.
