Cancer In Arkansas

 

Arkansas Cancer Facts & Figures 2011

Progress in cancer control demands accurate, timely and complete data. This Arkansas Cancer Facts & Figures 2011 report contains the most recent data available on cancer incidence and mortality in Arkansas. It describes the invasive cancers in Arkansas in terms of new cancer cases and deaths due to cancer for the period 1997 – 2008.  It identifies disparities in cancer incidence and mortality by race, gender, age, stage at diagnosis and geographic area. It also includes county-specific rates for the most commonly diagnosed cancers and those for which public health interventions exist to reduce the cancer burden in Arkansas. This publication is intended to assist healthcare organizations, health professionals, community groups, research scientists and others who are working to reduce the burden of cancer in Arkansas. It will also be used for policy-makers, advocates, and news organizations as they seek detailed, easy-to-read information about the impact of cancer on Arkansas. The Arkansas Central Cancer Registry (ACCR) is a population-based registry designed to collect, analyze, research and disseminate quality cancer data to help describe the burden of cancer so that evidence-based cancer prevention and control programs can be implemented.

Key findings from this report:

  • Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Arkansas and in the United States
  • A reported 14,287 Arkansans were diagnosed with cancer, and 6,211 died from cancer in Arkansas in 2008.
  • The age-adjusted incidence rates of all cancers in Arkansas have been at or below the national average during the period 1997 – 2008. However, incidence rates in Arkansas have been increasing during the same period. Prostate and breast cancers remain the number one cancer diagnoses among men and women respectively in Arkansas and the United States.
  • Cancer death rates in Arkansas during 1999 – 2008 were higher than the death rates in the United States; however, deaths from cancer are decreasing in both Arkansas and the United States. For all cancer sites combined, men (both black and White) had higher death rates than their female counterparts. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of death due to cancers among men and women in Arkansas and the United States.
  • Lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, consumption of foods with high fat and physical inactivity remain major risk factors for many cancers.

Arkansas Central Cancer Registry

Arkansas Central Cancer Registry (ACCR) tracks cancer incidence by counties within Arkansas. Click here to find statistical data of population at risk, total cases, crude rate, age-adjusted rate, statewide age-adjusted rate and more.

Arkansas Dialogue on Cancer

Arkansas has made profound steps to improve cancer awareness, prevention, screening and treatment resources for citizens across the state. Despite this progress, barriers to prevention and screening services still exist, and gaps in diagnosis and treatment need to be filled. In 2008, the Coalition in partnership with the American Cancer Society and the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus listened to the testimonies of five Arkansas cancer survivors, and as a result, identified the following themes to decrease cancer’s burden in Arkansas:

  1. There is a strong need to enhance provider education and continuing education opportunities.
  2. A statewide health literacy and consumer empowerment campaign is an important strategy used to equip Arkansans to proactively seek and manage their healthcare.
  3. Existing cancer care legislation has proven successful, and any effort to sustain or increase funding allocations should be considered.
  4. Replication of successful cancer prevention and treatment programs taking place in Arkansas and other states should be utilized as a means to provide increased access to services and contain program costs.
  5. All Arkansans deserve to have access to affordable and appropriate healthcare coverage. Consideration for increased funding, staffing and program integration opportunities is needed to address the uninsured.
  6. Improved communication and enhanced community connections between patients, providers, healthcare facilities and other health system stakeholders will be essential as Arkansas moves forward in combating cancer.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a standardized, random telephone health survey conducted in each state under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It collects information on health risk behaviors, preventative health practices and healthcare access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. For more about the BRFSS, click here.

Arkansas BRFSS PARTNER:

LaTonya R. Bynum, Senior Programmer/Analyst
Arkansas BRFSS Survey Coordinator
Survey Section, Health Statistics Branch
Center for Public Health Practice
Arkansas Department of Health
4815 West Markham Street Slot H19, Room 370
Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
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Toll Free: 1-800-462-0599 EXT. 2003
Phone: 501-661-2003
Message: 501-661-2368
Fax: 501-661-2544
Email: latonya.bynum@arkansas.gov
Website: http://www.brfss.arkansas.gov

National BRFSS Partner

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984.

Currently, data are collected monthly in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Learn More >>