Lung cancer cases in the Bay State have surpassed the national average, according to a new report, due in part to tobacco use and high levels of radon in the state.
“This has been a pattern for Massachusetts,” said Casey Harvell, Massachusetts director of public policy for the American Lung Association. “We still have people who are using tobacco products, and because of the rock composition we have a lot of radon here.”
According to the association’s report released today, the state’s rate of lung cancer cases is 66.5 per 100,000, slightly higher than the national average of 63.
Among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Bay State has the 29th lowest rate.
Utah has lowest incidence rate. That state also has one of lowest smoking rates in the country.
To fight back, 165 cities and counties in Massachusetts, including Boston, have raised the legal tobacco age to 21. But the state minimum age remains 18.
“We hope the state passes the bill to raise the age to buy tobacco,” Harvell said. “That’s a proven way to prevent kids from starting to smoke.”
Residents are also encouraged to get their homes tested for radon — a colorless and odorless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
The three areas of Massachusetts that are at highest risk are Worcester, Middlesex and Essex counties.
Despite having lung cancer rates above the national average, the report found that Massachusetts ranked second in the nation for catching lung cancer early. About 23 percent of cases are diagnosed at early stages, when it is most likely to be curable.
It is estimated that about 5,000 residents will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, and more than 3,000 will succumb to the disease.