High Cancer Rates in the South Underscore Need for Access, Awareness

Cancer resides everywhere in United States. But Southern states have higher rates of cancer diagnoses and deaths compared to other regions of the U.S.

Consider that 10 of the Top 20 states with the highest age-adjusted cancer mortality rates are in the South, with Georgia ranked 20th, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mississippi and Kentucky rank one and two, respectively.

_{Notes: Rates are per 100,000 state residents. Rates are age-adjusted to better compare states with higher percentages of older people that may have higher mortality rates than states high percentages of a younger people.}

“A lot of this is due to access,” says Jeffrey Metts, Chief of Staff at City of Hope^® Cancer Center Atlanta. “And we know that access has a significant impact — access to healthcare, access to education, access to earlier screening.”

Access issues aside, genetics, obesity, poverty and lifestyle habits, such as smoking, diet and alcohol consumption may also contribute to cancer rates, Dr. Metts says.

While the numbers paint a grim picture of cancer incidence and deaths in the South, they also underscore how taking control of specific lifestyle choices and improving awareness and access may help people in the South reduce their cancer risk.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• Which Cancers Are More Common in the Southeast?
• Cancer Death Rates in the Southeast
• What’s Behind the Numbers?
• Cancer Detection and Screening in Georgia

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at 877-524-4673.

Which Cancers Are More Common in the Southeast?

The most common cancers diagnosed in the Southeast mirror those diagnosed nationwide. They are:

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Lung cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Melanoma

The incidence rates of the most common cancers are only slightly higher in the South than elsewhere in the country. Specifically, the 11 Southern states listed in the chart below account for 26 percent of the U.S. population, but 29 percent diagnoses of these common cancers. The chart lists the American Cancer Society’s estimated new diagnoses for the five most common cancers in 2025.

Cancer Death Rates in the Southeast

While cancer incidence rates for common cancers in the South hover just above and/or below the national average, mortality rates for some cancers are higher, especially for specific cancers and different ethnic groups.

Breaking rates down by congressional districts, cancer mortality rates are the lowest in the country in specific areas of Utah and the highest in regions of Kentucky. In general, southerners have higher mortality rates from lung cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.

The chart below lists the American Cancer Society’s estimated number of deaths for the four most common cancers in 2025.

What’s Behind the Numbers?

Numbers may often be made to say whatever you want them to say, but in the case of cancer in the South, the statistics tell the story. High cancer rates are often a result of:

• Poor lifestyle habits, especially smoking and tobacco use.
• Low vaccination rates
• A lack of access to quality healthcare
• Disparities among ethnic groups, often a result of the factors listed above.

In the South, all these narratives contribute to higher cancer incidences and deaths. Consider:

Tobacco use: Rates of smoking and the using smokeless tobacco products are the highest in the South. The four states with the highest percentage of smokers are:

• West Virginia
• Tennessee
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

Tobacco use is the most common cause of cancer worldwide.

Vaccination rates: Vaccinations for the human papillomavirus (HPV) are low nationwide, but below the national average in Southern states. HPV causes most cases of cervical cancer and large percentages of oral, anal vaginal and penile cancers.

Access: Southerners are more likely to be uninsured and more likely to have to travel longer distances for healthcare, creating access barriers to healthcare. The lack of access often leads to less education, awareness, and screening.

Disparities: More than half the nation’s African American population lives in the South. Black women are more likely to die from breast and cervical cancer and are less likely to be screened. Black men are five times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men.

“The disparities in healthcare in the South are something that that we have to keep talking about,” Dr. Metts says. “And by trying to improve education as well, we can really make an impact.”

Cancer Detection and Screening in Georgia

At City of Hope, access means more than availability. Access is also about:

Speed to care: In Georgia, and other Southern states, cancer is often diagnosed at later stages. So, it’s important those experiencing cancer symptoms or who already have been diagnosed to have fast access to specialized cancer care. At City of Hope, appointments are available in as little as 24 hours and many treatment plans may be developed within 48 hours of the first consultation.

Screening and prevention: City of Hope Atlanta offer leading-edge screening options for breast, lung, skin, colorectal and head and neck cancers. City of Hope also offers genetic counseling and testing to help those with a family history of cancer assess their risk.

Centers and programs: City cancer centers are staffed with experts in breast, lung, blood and gynecologic cancers. Patients also have access to specific programs, such as the Rapid Lung Nodule Diagnosis Program or the High-Risk Breast Cancer Program designed to assess your condition quickly and develop treatment or surveillance plans to fit your needs.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at 877-524-4673.