The 10 States with the Highest Risk for Cancer
The greatest risk for developing cancer faces residents of South Dakota, where radon levels are the nation's highest, and ranks for alcohol consumption and obesity are poor.
These 9 risk factors that contribute to risk for cancer, some obvious and overt, others more subtle, were weighted and combined to develop a composite score from 0 to 100.
Weighted ranking of risk factors for cancer was based on publicly available sources.
#1. South Dakota was ranked as the state with the most potent combination of risk factors for development of cancer including an extremely high level of radon that creates significant indoor exposure risks if not managed.
#2. West Virginia earned the #2 spot based on the highest smoking rate among the top 10 states combined with the highest score for obesity.
#3. The risk for cancer for residents of Pennsylvania is increased by elevated radon levels in the state as well as concerning levels of stress and obesity.
#4. The air pollution in Ohio is the highest among the top 10 states ranked for cancer risk. High rates of smoking and obesity contribute to its rank as fourth from the top.
#5. Smoking and obesity rates both are high in Kentucky and appear to override the low proportion of older adults that might otherwise reduced the overall risk of cancer in the state.
#6. An aged population in Maine, the highest proportion in the country, increases the cancer risk for the state, despite its lowest ranking on the UV radiation index.
#7. Excessive alcohol consumption in Iowa, the second highest among the top 10 states with elevated risk for cancer, is compounded by a high level of water hardness, creating multiple pathways for cancer risk.
#8. The highest exposure to UV radiation among the top 10 cancer-prone states earns Montana its 8th place ranking.
#9. In Wisconsin, the risk for cancer is elevated by the highest rate of excessive alcohol consumption among the top 10 states analyzed. A high stress level index adds to the mix of factors that place it at ninth in terms of risk.
#10. New Hampshire's ranking as 10th for risk of cancer in the state is no prize among the 50 eligible for the spot and was earned in part by ranking highest in the country for stress levels. The psychological duress does not overcome the the impact of somewhat lower obesity and smoking rates.
Cancer new cases and deaths, measuring the incidence and mortality rates associated with cancer, and population values, used for normalizing data to ensure fair comparison, are for 2024.
A diagnosis of cancer rarely reflects a single underlying cause, with the much more likely etiology the result of a complex interplay and overlapping of diverse factors including genetics, environmental exposures, geographic location, lifestyle choices, and sociocultural influences.
Based on a composite score reflecting rates and concentrations of 9 such variables across US states, a recent study found South Dakota had the population at the greatest risk for developing cancer, with extremely high radon levels and excessive alcohol consumption the top contributing factors to the composite score of 99.9. At second highest risk was West Virginia (composite score 98.4), likely based on its claim to the highest rates of smoking and obesity among all states.
The short slide show above offers a snapshot of the study results from research conducted by Masumi Headwear (www.masumiheadwear.com), a company that provides chemotherapy headwear for hair loss.
Full methodology for the study is available here.
