Arkansas Included for First Time in Cancer Report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information Provided by Arkansas Department of Health (ADH); Arkansas Central Cancer Registry (ACCR)

November 22, 2004

Little Rock - Arkansas data on the number of new cancer cases per year and death rates for cancer are included for the first time in The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality report. U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality includes data from 43 states, six metropolitan areas, and the District of Columbia, covering 92 percent of the U.S. population -- up from the coverage rate of 84 percent for the report issued last year. The report supplies essential state, population, racial, ethnic and gender information for cancer prevention and control programs nationwide. Arkansas is included for the first time because the Arkansas Department of Health Cancer Registry received a silver certification for having high quality data.

Catherine Tapp, Arkansas Central Cancer Registry Director/Epidemiologist, states, “Having accurate data about Arkansans with regard to new cancers per year and cancer deaths is so important in understanding the burden of cancer in Arkansas, designing methods to reduce cancer risk and researching the mysteries of cancer. For the first time, the data from Arkansas are included in this very important report from the CDC. We continue to work toward having complete and current data to meet CDC’s standards of excellence. Our appreciation goes to the providers, hospitals and colleagues whose reporting made this a reality.”

Of interest to Arkansans will be the state ranking for 1999, 2000, and 2001; state and national rate comparisons for 1999, 2000, and 2001; the number of new cases per year and death rates for 2001; new cases per year for 1999 and 2000 to reflect increases in U.S. population coverage (93% coverage for 1999 and 94% coverage for 2000); death rates for 1999 and 2000 (100% U.S. coverage for all years); and new cases per year and death rates for Hispanic populations for 1999 and 2000.

Nationally, the latest report shows that prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed overall in men in the United States and breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in U.S. women. The leading cause of cancer death for both men and women is lung cancer.

Arkansans can now review the new Arkansas Department of Health’s on-line cancer data query system available at http://cancer-rates.info. This data query system can provide around-the-clock access to extensive cancer information in Arkansas such as the number of new cases per year, incidence rates, cancer death rates, and the number of cancers per county by age, race and sex. A mapping component is also available that provides a visual representation of cancer across the entire state.

All sections of the CDC report, along with information on how to order copies, are available at the following CDC Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/npcr/yuscs/2001/index.htm.

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