Effects of tobacco use on the health of Indiana citizens.

Abstract

In Indiana, the lung cancer mortality rate is almost equal to the incidence rate. The mortality rate from lung cancer in men is almost four times higher than for any other cancer. In women, the mortality rate is 20% higher than the mortality rate for breast cancer. In Indiana, black men have the highest death and incidence rates, followed by white men, black women, then white women. There are no early warning signs for lung cancer; there is no recommended screening mechanism; there is no uniformly effective treatment. Unlike most cancers, the primary cause of lung cancer is a well known behavioral factor: smoking. Smoking prevalence is higher in Indiana than in the United States for both men and women.