Why is cancer rate so high in Maine? (live, zip code)

[Zarathu]

It would be nice if the poster would give us the actual websites with the reports that indicate the cancer deaths. Without that, its just one more agenda.

Could that please happen?

[movintime]

Hi again. I got data from NCI Cancer Maps & Mortality graphs on their website, etc. Just google 'Maine cancer rates high' & you'll see many links & article/stories etc.

I'm leaning toward NY state tho now, rather than Maine as a relocation, for several reasons including cancer rates, heart dis. rates, cost of liv., weather & state budgets being a bit stronger in NY state.

Anyone agree on this NY vs Maine issue?

We originally liked VT too but many reasons have dropped it down our relocation list. I'd love any VT info from anyone familiar w/ it. Thanks.

[Kristin85]

Originally Posted by movintime

Hi again. I got data from NCI Cancer Maps & Mortality graphs on their website, etc. Just google 'Maine cancer rates high' & you'll see many links & article/stories etc.

I'm leaning toward NY state tho now, rather than Maine as a relocation, for several reasons including cancer rates, heart dis. rates, cost of liv., weather & state budgets being a bit stronger in NY state.

Anyone agree on this NY vs Maine issue?

We originally liked VT too but many reasons have dropped it down our relocation list. I'd love any VT info from anyone familiar w/ it. Thanks.

I don't agree on the NY vs ME issue. As other posters have said, many Mainers are smokers and the population is older than in most other states (which leads to higher heart disease rate as well). Those two things alone skew cancer rates higher in Maine. I do not think there's anything in the air/food/water that is giving Maine residents a higher cancer rate than NY residents. If you're not particularly elderly and susceptible to getting age-related cancer and you don't smoke, there shouldn't be a problem.

I would also strongly disagree with the "cost of living" and "weather" comments. I live on the border of NY and costs are significantly higher there than in Maine. If you are a home owner in NY you will pay significantly higher taxes and fees than you would in Maine; friends living in Westchester County pay $2000/year for public education on top of their property taxes, income tax, state sales tax, and local sales tax! The cost of living is out of control in that state. Also, weather along the coast of Maine is very similar to weather in NY state. The temperature may be 3-6 degrees cooler on any given day in Maine than in NY, but in general the weather is the same.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by movintime

Hi again. I got data from NCI Cancer Maps & Mortality graphs on their website, etc. Just google 'Maine cancer rates high' & you'll see many links & article/stories etc.

I'm leaning toward NY state tho now, rather than Maine as a relocation, for several reasons including cancer rates, heart dis. rates, cost of liv., weather & state budgets being a bit stronger in NY state.

Anyone agree on this NY vs Maine issue?

We originally liked VT too but many reasons have dropped it down our relocation list. I'd love any VT info from anyone familiar w/ it. Thanks.

You will pay an arm and a leg for property taxes in NY state and NH. Better look into that before proceeding.

[maine4.us]

Let's face it, the cost of government services is just about the same for NH, VT and ME. So not having a state income tax in NH means higher property taxes, and no matter what or how they tax in a state, they have to have the money to run it year round. I think you are going to find living/retirement in any of these states comparable. The low population density is the great equalizer.

[DanaMarley]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Are there any specific stats that account for age groups..

I believe that genitics have much to do with disease as anything.. knowing your family history and acess to healt care can make a big difference.. and if you know you might be prone to something changing your lifestyle might help delay it or lesson the severity??..

I would agree that Maine is an older state... Maine is also poorer then many other states and being poor brings a host of other issues like smoking, drinking, poor diet, lack of availability to health care, and probably most important... stress.. Stress causes many health conditions.. I have also been hearing that in the northeast (or north) in general that we ALL suffer from a vitamine diffeciency due to the short days half the year..

I try and take things in stride... drink once in while, even smoke a tobacco product once in a great while.. food is my only weakness... But I try to eat plenty of fruits and veggies to balance all the other crap I am eating... and I "TRY" to maintain a low stress life.. I also take a daily vitamine and a low dose asperine..

You've said some good points here flycessna... being poor, can lead to a stressful life. How to pay bills? Have $$ for doctor visits, dentists, repairs, etc. etc. is a very tough way to life.. no doubt...
Now what is asperine by chance? A form of aspirin. they say taking one tablet of baby aspirin a day is a good idea.
I think vit. E, vit B and also Vitamin C is a good idea too.
Someone said that uterine cancer is seen in 1 out of 4 women? really? those are very high odds... bad ones too.
Wonder what causes uterine cancer that can be avoided? Oh, btw, are you are pilot flycessna? I'm an aviation nut too. good fun.

[NE Gal coming home]

The table below has some age adjusted data on cancer incidence in Maine compared to US average based on 2007 data (most recent available). There is also a graph but it did not translate well but here is source:
Cancer - United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) Data - 2007 State vs. National Comparisons
Note that the rates are age adjusted so should eleminate that as a factor. Looks like indeed there may be something interesting happening in the state:



Age-Adjusted Invasive Cancer Incidence Rates for the 10 Primary Sites with the Highest Rates within State- and Sex-Specific Categories (Table 6.20.1MF) *†
Rates are per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups - Census P25-1130).

95% Confidence Interval :Hide Show

Text Description

State vs. National Rates: 2007, Male and Female , Maine *†
Rates per 100,000 ‡


SiteStateU.S.1 Prostate 165.7156.92 Female Breast 128.9120.43 Lung and Bronchus 78.165.64 Colon and Rectum 49.045.55 Corpus and Uterus, NOS 29.824.16 Urinary Bladder 29.020.57 Melanomas of the Skin 22.518.78 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 19.518.89 Kidney and Renal Pelvis 16.215.410 Leukemias 14.411.7

(Table 6.20.1MF) Age-Adjusted Invasive Cancer Incidence Rates for the 10 Primary Sites with the Highest Rates within State- and Sex-Specific Categories

Footnotes
* Data are from selected statewide and metropolitan area cancer registries that meet the data quality criteria for all invasive cancer sites combined. See registry-specific data quality information. Rates cover approximately 99% of the U.S. population.
† Excludes basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin except when these occur on the skin of the genital organs, and in situ cancers except urinary bladder.
‡ Rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups – Census P25–1130). Rates are suppressed and not ranked if the population of the specific category (area, sex) is less than 50,000 or case counts are fewer than 16.

Confidence interval (CI): Range of values for a rate that will include the true value of the rate a given percentage of the time. Example: 95% CI includes the true value of the rate 95% of the time.

Notes: Notes: ONS – Other Nervous System; NOS – Not Otherwise Specified; IBD – Intrahepatic Bile Duct. Urinary bladder cases include invasive and in situ

Glossary
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[NE Gal coming home]

Oops - sorry (I'm a newbie) table did not come through but you can follow the link to the source.

Cancer - United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) Data - 2007 State vs. National Comparisons

[OutDoorNut]

Originally Posted by maine4.us

Let's face it, the cost of government services is just about the same for NH, VT and ME. So not having a state income tax in NH means higher property taxes, and no matter what or how they tax in a state, they have to have the money to run it year round. I think you are going to find living/retirement in any of these states comparable. The low population density is the great equalizer.

New Hampshire has a stronger economy, which theoretically should mean state expenditures should be less and tax revenue should be higher.

Plus NH isn't as large a state, meaning shorter distances between population centers, which should make the state cheaper to govern.

[brava4]

Funny, I follow the Delaware forum and there is a thread about cancer rates in Delaware as well. People were alarmed about the cancer rates there. So, I guess it could be any state.