2004 NEW JERSEY CANCER FACTS

According to “Cancer Facts & Figures 2004,” there will be 43,830 new cancer cases in New Jersey this year.  An estimated 18,030 New Jerseyans will die of cancer in 2004.

 Aside from Skin Cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in New Jersey and

the rest of the nation, the five most prevalent cancers in New Jersey in 2004 will be:

• Breast Cancer  (Female)                      7,970  (new cases)
• Prostate Cancer                                   7,930  (new case)
• Lung Cancer                                        5,110  (new cases)
• Colorectal Cancer                                 4,770  (new cases)
• Urinary Bladder Cancer                         2,040  (new cases)

 The five leading causes of cancer deaths in New Jersey in 2004 will be:

• Lung Cancer                                         4,720
• Colorectal Cancer                                  1,840
• Breast Cancer (Female)                         1,480
• Pancreatic Cancer                                  1,040
• Prostate Cancer                                      1,030

 New Jersey ranks 1^st among the fifty states in Prostate Cancer incidence, but ranks 27^th in Prostate Cancer deaths, thanks to an emphasis on early detection.  Yearly PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams are recommended for all men at age 50, except for African-American men, who should start at age 40.

 A woman in New Jersey is more likely to develop cancer than a woman living anywhere else in the nation, except Rhode Island.  There were 452.3 cases per 100,000 New Jersey residents in 1996-2000.

 A woman living in New Jersey is more likely to die of Breast Cancer than a woman living in any other state. According to the American Cancer Society, while New Jersey ranks 8th in the incidence of Breast Cancer, 138.2 cases per 100,000 in 1996-2000,  New Jersey ranks 1st in Breast Cancer deaths with 31.3 deaths per 100,000 in 1996-2000.

New Jersey ranks 1^st in the incidence of male Colorectal Cancer and ranks 4^th in the incidence of female Colorectal Cancer.

 New Jersey ranks 1^st in the incidence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and ranks 9^th in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma deaths. In 2004, there will be an estimated 1,820 new cases. 

 In New Jersey, which has the highest cigarette tax in the nation at $2.05 a pack, the smoking rate has now dropped to 19%, compared to the national average of 23%.  New Jersey now ranks 9^th among the 50 states in Lung Cancer incidence and ranks 10^th in Lung Cancer deaths.

 *Main Sources:  American Cancer Society 
                           New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services