Map: Fewer cancer deaths in Pennsylvania
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Cancer deaths have fallen in every congressional district in the U.S., typically between 20% and 45% among males and a 10% and 40% among females, over the past quarter century, according to a study published in the journal Cancer.
- But health disparities remain.
Methodology: Researchers used county-level cancer death counts and population data from the National Center for Health Statistics dating back to 1996, Axios' Tina Reed reports.
Zoom in: In Philadelphia, cancer remains the second leading cause of death after heart disease, per the city's latest health report.
- Pennsylvania's cancer deaths declined between 17%-49% across its congressional districts over the same period.
By the numbers: Lung cancer saw the biggest drops among men, declining between 21%–72% since 1996.
- Female breast cancer deaths dropped between 14% and 58% depending on the district.
Yes, but: The study found "substantial" disparities. For instance, the fall in cancer deaths was steepest among Black men, but overall cancer mortality is substantially higher among the Black population.