In looking at statistics involving lung cancer, such as diagnoses or death rates, there is no question that the numbers themselves tell only part of the story. However, it can be helpful to develop an understanding of what those statistics are and what they may mean to you on a personal level.
One way to evaluate lung cancer is to study how it impacts people differently depending on demographic factors such as gender, race, or geographic location. For someone dealing with lung cancer in Georgia, there are a variety of state-based numbers to consider.
Lung and Bronchus Cancer in Georgia
According to statistics from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, there were over 220,000 men and women diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer in 2010, including over 6,200 from the state of Georgia. That means that Georgia had roughly 3 percent of the overall amount of lung cancer cases, ranking it 11th nationally. Recent estimates also show that over 150,000 men and women died from lung and bronchus cancer in 2010. Of that total, over 4,600 were estimated to be from Georgia. Again, that roughly equates to 3% of the overall total, ranking Georgia 10th in the United States.
With estimates showing lung and bronchus cancer as the leader in cancer-related deaths in 2010, it goes without saying that for those living in a state which ranks fairly high in new lung cancer diagnoses each year, the prospect of a misdiagnosis or late discovery is especially worrisome.
Gender, Race, and Lung Cancer
Of the people diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, roughly 52 percent of those diagnosed were men and 48 percent were women, showing that both men and women are at near-equal risk of lung and bronchus cancer.
Race often plays a role in variances in cancer statistics and lung cancer is no exception. According to the National Cancer Institute, African Americans show the highest rates in new lung cancer cases each year and those of Hispanic origin show the lowest.
When you combine the demographic factors of gender and race together, clear trends begin to emerge which show the highest trends in lung cancer diagnoses each year. The rate for African American men receiving diagnoses for lung and bronchus cancer each year is the highest at 101.2 per 100,000, whereas the rate in Hispanic women is the lowest at 25.4 per 100,000.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer in Georgia and feel it was detected late or originally misdiagnosed, please request a copy of our free book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?, or contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and lung cancer lawyer at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 for more information.