How Well Is Your State Protecting You From Cancer?

Your state can help protect you from cancer with policies, programs, and campaigns to reduce risk factors and support cancer screening.

Sandy McDowell | Managing Editor Research

Protection from cancer includes taking preventive actions that decrease your risk of developing cancer, such as avoiding tobacco and alcohol, maintaining a healthy body weight and eating patterns, being physically active, avoiding excessive ultraviolet radiation exposure, and getting vaccinated against cancer-causing infections.

Getting screened for cancer at the recommended times is another protective action because screening helps find cancer at an earlier stage, which may mean less complicated treatments and a lower risk of dying prematurely from cancer. The procedures for screening for cervical cancer and colorectal cancer can even prevent you from getting cancer in the first place.

You can take actions to help protect yourself from cancer—补苍诲 your state can too with systematic interventions, such as policies, programs, and educational campaigns, to reduce cancer risk factors and to support the use of cancer screening.

Every year, the P站视频 (P站视频) provides data on how well your state is protecting you from cancer. Our Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures (CPED) report is one of the only US sources that looks from both the national and state levels at the major modifiable cancer risk factors in addition to HPV vaccination and the use of cancer screening tests. 

The tables below show states with the most vs. least levels of protection from cancer risk factors and cancer screening uptake. 

  • States with a lower prevalence of (proportion of people with) cancer risk factors, like smoking cigarettes or having excess body weight, typically have better protection from the burden (the number of new cases and deaths) for cancers linked to those risk factors. Conversely, states with higher prevalence of people with cancer risk factors generally have a higher cancer burden for those cancers linked to the risk factors. 
  • Similarly, higher screening is tied to better protection against death from the cancer being screened

For information about your state specifically, use the dropdown list at the bottom of this article to see some of your state's data from the CPED Facts & Figures report on the website.

Cancer Risk Factors: States With the Least & Most Protection

Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking Cigarettes (High School Students) 

Effect of Smoking

Almost 90% of adults who smoke regularly started before they were 18, which is why reducing the number of youth who start smoking is critical.

Proven strategies that states and communities can use: 

Increasing the cost of cigarettes with excise taxes, as well as setting and enforcing regulations about tobacco advertising and bans on menthol and other tobacco flavors.

National Midpoint* 

4% of high school students smoke cigarettes

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • Utah (1%)
  • 2% in:
    • Delaware
    • Michigan
    • Nebraska
    • New York (excluding New York City)
    • Puerto Rico
    • Virginia

States with the Highest Proportion

  • 7% in:
    • Alaska
    • Arkansas
    • Montana
    • West Virginia 

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2023.

Smoking Cigarettes (18 and Older)

Relationship with Cancer

Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body and increases the risk of developing these types of cancer:

  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

And, from head to toe, cancer in the:

  • Mouth, throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx)
  • Esophagus
  • Liver
  • Lung
  • Pancreas
  • Stomach
  • Bladder
  • Cervix
  • Colon/rectum

Proven strategies that states and communities can use: 

  • Increasing the cost of cigarettes by adding a significant excise tax.
  • Increasing the number of smokefree polices in workplaces, restaurants, bars, and casinos. 
  • Using culturally and linguistically appropriate protocols, channels, and quitting messages to reach groups affected by disparities.
  • Ensuring all policies are linked to comprehensive smoking cessation services.

National Midpoint* 

12% of adults 18 and older smoke cigarettes

States with the Lowest Proportion 

  • Utah (6%)
  • 8% in:
    • California
    • Hawaii
    • Maryland
    • Washington

States with Highest Proportion

  • West Virginia (22%)
  • Kentucky (18%)
  • Arkansas (17%)

 

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

Cigarette Excise Tax per Pack

Relationship with Cancer

85% of deaths from lung cancer are attributable to cigarette smoking.

The single most effective and proven way states can reduce the number of people who smoke:

Increase the cost of cigarettes with a higher tobacco excise tax.

In states with higher taxes, fewer kids start to smoke and more adults quit smoking.

National Midpoint* 

$2.11 excise tax added to the cost of a package of cigarettes

States with the Highest Excise Taxes 

  • New York ($5.35)
  • Puerto Rico ($5.10)
  • Maryland ($5.00)

States with the Lowest Excise Taxes 

  • Missouri ($0.17)
  • Georgia ($0.37)
  • North Dakota ($0.44)

 

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2026.

Drinking Alcohol

Drinking Any Amount of Alcohol (High School Students)

Relationship with Cancer

Drinking alcohol is the 3rd most common potentially avoidable cause of cancer, after cigarette smoking and excess body weight.

One proven strategy for states and communities to use:

Enhancing the enforcement of laws that prohibit selling alcohol to people younger than 21.

National Midpoint* 

21%  high school students currently drink alcohol

States with the Lowest Proportion 

  • Utah (6%)
  • Nebraska (11%)
  • District of Columbia (15%)
  • New Mexico (15%)

States with the Highest Proportion 

  • West Virginia (28%)
  • New Jersey (27%)
  • Vermont (27%)

 

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2023.

Drinking Heavy Amounts of Alcohol (18 and Older)

Relationship with Cancer

Heavy alcohol use has been linked with an increased risk of developing these cancers:

  • Breast (Drinking even small amounts of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in women.)
  • Colon and rectum
  • Esophagus
  • Liver
  • Mouth, throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx) (Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes together raises the risk for these cancers many times more than drinking or smoking alone.)
  • Stomach

Proven strategies for states and communities to use to prevent excessive alcohol use:

Set and enforce limits on the number of places that sell alcohol and the distance between them, as well as on the days and hours people can buy alcohol. Raise taxes on alcohol.

National Midpoint*

6% of adults drink heavy amounts of alcohol

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • Pennsylvania (3%)
  • 4% in:
    • Maryland
    • New Jersey
    • North Carolina
    • Utah 
    • Puerto Rico

States with the Highest Proportion

  • Montana (10%)
  • Alaska (9%) 
  • Vermont (9%)

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

Excess Body Weight

Overweight (High School Students)

Relationship with Cancer

Children with overweight and obesity often become adults with one of the same conditions, and in adulthood, both overweight and obesity are linked with an increased risk of several types of cancer as well as other serious health conditions, like heart disease.

For those reasons, the P站视频 recommends that people try to get to and stay at a healthy weight throughout their lives.

State efforts to help:

report recommends that state and local governments: 

  • Let schools keep the flexibility to expand access to nutrition for students—second-chance breakfasts, breakfast-on-the-go, and breakfasts in classrooms.
  • Reduce unhealthy food marketing to children at the local level: Prohibit coupons, sales, and advertising around schools, and ban sugary drink brands as sponsors of youth sporting events.
  • Expand the Every Kid Outdoors program for 4th graders—a free-entry to federal park pass—to more grades and to state-managed parks.

National Midpoint* 

15% of high school students have overweight

States with the Lowest Proportion 

  • 13% in:
    • Nebraska
    • New Hampshire
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota

States with the Highest Proportion

  • Mississippi (19%)
  • 17% in:
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Missouri
    • Nevada
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • Oklahoma
    • Tennessee
    • West Virginia

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2023.

Overweight (18 and Older)

Relationship with Cancer

According to research from the P站视频, in the United States, about 5% of cancers in men and about 11% of cancers in women are linked to having excess body weight (overweight or obesity). Excess body weight is also linked with about 7% of all cancer deaths.  

State efforts to help:

 report recommends state and local governments:  

  • Implement a living wage policy to meet needs for food, childcare, health insurance, housing, transportation, while maintaining self-sufficiency.
  • Ensure access to evidence-based comprehensive obesity prevention and treatment programs by reversing cuts to Medicaid and health insurance marketplace subsidies.
  • Use waivers or state plan amendments to allow Medicaid or managed care organizations to reimburse community-based organizations for chronic disease prevention activities, such as fruit and vegetable prescriptions.

National Midpoint* 

34% of adults have overweight

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • South Dakota (31%)
  • 32% in:
    • District of Columbia
    • Louisiana
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin 

States with the Highest Proportion

  • 37% in:
    • Colorado
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico 

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

Obesity (High School Students)

Relationship with Cancer

Some research suggests that female teens who have excess weight may have a higher risk for developing ovarian cancer before menopause.

State efforts to help:

report recommends that state and local governments: 

Cover pediatric weight management and obesity-related services in Medicaid and expand those services to include:

  • Obesity medications
  • Bariatric surgery
  • Obesity and nutritional counseling from registered dietitians and other professionals

National Midpoint* 

16% of high school students have obesity

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • New Jersey (12%) 
  • 13% in:
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Utah

States with the Highest Proportion

  • Arkansas (22%)
  • Kentucky (22%)
  • Mississippi (21%)

* Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2023.

Obesity in Adults (18 and Older)

Relationship with Cancer

Excess body weight is linked with an increased risk of developing cancer in the:

  • Breast (in women past menopause)
  • Colon and rectal
  • Endometrium (the inside lining of the uterus)
  • Esophagus
  • Gallbladder
  • Kidney
  • Liver
  • Ovarian
  • Pancreas
  • Stomach
  • Thyroid

Excess weight also increases the risk of:

  • Meningioma (a tumor in the lining of the brain and spinal cord)
  • Multiple myeloma (a blood cancer that starts in bone marrow.)

State efforts to help reduce obesity:

report, recommendations for state and local governments specific to youth include: 

Covering adult weight management and obesity-related services in Medicaid and expand those services to include:

  • Obesity medications
  • Bariatric surgery
  • Obesity and nutritional counseling from registered dietitians and other professionals
  • Family-Based Behavioral Treatment programs

National Midpoint* 

34% of adults have obesity 

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • Colorado (25%)
  • District of Columbia (26%)
  • Massachusetts (27%)

States with the Highest Proportion

  • West Virginia (42%)
  • Mississippi (41%)
  • 40% in:
    • Alabama
    • Arkansas
    • Louisiana 

Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

No Physical Activity

Relationship with Cancer

Regular physical activity can lower the risk of developing cancer in the:

  • Bladder
  • Breast
  • Colon
  • Esophagus
  • Stomach
  • Uterus

How states can help:

The recommendation for high school students is at least 60 minutes of moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every day. Yet, each state sets its own standards for physical education in public high schools, and a majority do not require curriculums to meet that daily goal for all 4 years.

report recommends that states, consider:

  • Using the Every Student Succeeds Act Title I and/or IV funding for physical education and related opportunities.
  • Create shared-use agreements with schools so that recreational facilities can be open to students and community members outside of school hours.

National Midpoint* 

16% of high school students aren’t physically active

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • 12% in:
    • Montana
    • North Dakota
    • South Dakota

US Places with the Highest Proportion 

  • Puerto Rico (31%)
  • District of Columbia (26%)
  • Delaware (22%)

Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2023.

Relationship with Cancer 

Sitting or lying down too much while awake can raise the risk of developing cancer in the:

  • Colon
  • Lung
  • Uterus

Strategies that state public health agencies may use:

Forming partnerships within a community's businesses, health-care organizations, and schools to create activity-friendly policies on community planning and zoning, public spaces, and transportation.

The goal: Connect safe routes for walking, biking, and using public transportation to everyday destinations like homes, worksites, schools, parks, and shops. 

National Midpoint* 

21% of adults aren’t physically active

States with the Lowest Proportion

  • 15% in:
    • Colorado
    • District of Columbia
    • Vermont

States with the Highest Proportion

    • Puerto Rico (42%)
    • Mississippi (30%)
    • 27% in:
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Oklahoma
      • West Virginia 

    * Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    HPV Vaccination (Ages 13 to 17)

    Relationship with Cancer

    HPV vaccination provides nearly total protection against infections and precancers caused by cancer-related types of the human papillomavirus, including cancers in the:

    • Mouth
    • Throat
    • Cervix
    • Vagina
    • Penis
    • Anus 

    State approaches to increase HPV vaccine uptake:

    • School entry requirements (SERs) for HPV vaccination specifically and for vaccinations in general, as a spillover effect. Gender-neutral policies showed better results than female-specific mandates.
    • Medicaid expansion

    National Midpoint* 

    66% of 13- to 17-year-olds in the US are up to date with HPV vaccinations

    States with the Most Up-to-Date HPV Vaccinations

    • Massachusetts (80%)
    • Puerto Rico (77%)
    • 76% in:
      • District of Columbia
      • Hawaii
      • Rhode Island 

    States with the Fewest Up-to-Date HPV Vaccinations

    • Mississippi (39%) 
    • Wyoming (47%)
    • Oklahoma (50%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    Screening: States with the Most and Least Cancer Protection 

    Breast Cancer Screening

    For Women 45 and Older

    Benefit of Screening

    Mammograms cannot keep breast cancer from developing, but regular screening can help find tumors when they are small and more treatable—补苍诲 that can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.

    State approaches to increase screening:

    All 50 states have the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which is focused on increasing screening access for women without health insurance, with low incomes, and who are part of underserved populations. States may expand the national program.

    States have increased the uptake of breast cancer screening by:

    • Mapping screening to target high-need areas
    • Partnering with community organizations to reach non-English speakers and diverse populations
    • Offering on-site screening
    • Coordinating provider reminders

    National Midpoint* 

    69% of women 45 and older are up to date with P站视频 breast cancer screening guidelines

    States with the Highest Proportion

    • 78% in:
      • Connecticut
      • Massachusetts
      • Rhode Island

    States with the Lowest Proportion

    • Wyoming (60%)
    • New Mexico (61%)
    • Montana (63%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    Cervical Cancer Screening

    For Eligibile Females 25 to 65

    Benefit of Screening 

    Screening for cervical cancer can detect and remove precancers before cancer develops. Screening can also find cancer in its early stages, when it is most treatable. Half of cervical cancers are found in women who have never had a Pap test or who have not had one recently.

    State approaches to increase screening:

    All 50 states have the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which is focused on increasing screening access for women without health insurance, with low incomes, and who are part of underserved populations. States may expand the national program via their state Cancer Prevention and Control Programs and Departments of Health.

    States have increased the uptake of cervical cancer screening by:

    • Using phone calls, letters, and texts to women to remind them about screening.
    • Offering extended hours for Pap tests.
    • Providing culturally sensitive education about risk factors, family history, genetic counseling, and healthy choices.

    National Midpoint* 

    75% of women 25 to 65 are up to date with P站视频 cervical cancer screening guidelines

    States with the Highest Proportion

    • Puerto Rico (87%)
    • Connecticut (80%)
    • Maine (80%)

    States with the Lowest Proportion

    • Mississippi (67%)
    • Nevada (67%)
    • New Mexico (68%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    For Adults 45 and Older

    Benefit of Screening 

    Screening with colonoscopy can find precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum that can be removed before they turn into cancer.

    Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage, when treatment works best. When people have screening colonoscopies, deaths from colorectal cancer are reduced by half.

    State approaches to increase screening include:

    • Eliminating costs for colonoscopy after a positive non-invasive screening test, such as an FOBT
    • Expanding Medicaid

    National Midpoint* 

    69% of adults 45 and older are up to date with P站视频 colorectal cancer screening guidelines

    States with the Highest Proportion

    • Rhode Island (78%)
    • Connecticut (76%)
    • Massachusetts (76%)

    States with the Lowest Proportion

    • New Mexico (59%)
    • Wyoming (60%)
    • Alaska
    • Nevada (63%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    Lung Cancer Screening 

    For Adults 50 to 80 Who Currently or Formerly Smoked Cigarettes

    Benefit of Screening

    Screening for lung cancer by getting a yearly low-dose CT scans when they are recommended can detect cancer at an earlier stage when it's more treatable and reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer by about 20%.

    State approaches to increase screening include:

    • Not requiring people to have to pay for screening—even small copays
    • Removing insurance barriers, such as requiring prior authorization, which may be accomplished by expanding Medicaid access.
    • Using mobile screening units to improve access in underserved areas. 

    National Midpoint* 

    18% of eligible adults 50 to 80 are up to date with P站视频 lung cancer screening guidelines

    States with the Highest Proportion

    • 28% in:
      • Connecticut
      • Massachusetts
      • Pennsylvania

    States with the Lowest Proportion

    • California (11%)
    • Utah (12%)
    • Alaska (13%)
    • South Dakota (13%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2024.

    Prostate Cancer Screening 

    For Eligible Males 50 and Older

    Recommendation

    For now, the P站视频 recommends that men learn as much as they can about prostate cancer screening, so they can make an informed decision about whether to get a PSA test based on available information, discussions with their health care provider, and their own views on the possible benefits, risks, and limits of screening.

    State approaches to increase screening: 

    Eliminating out-of-pocket costs, such as copays and deductibles for prostate cancer screening, and in some cases, for diagnostic tests after screening.

    National Midpoint* 

    31% of eligibile men 50 and older without a prostate cancer diagnosis were screened for prostate cancer screening in the past year

    States with the Highest Proportion

    • Puerto Rico (48%) 
    • 37% in:
      • Alabama
      • North Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Wyoming 

    States with the Lowest Proportion

    • New Mexico (22%)
    • Vermont (22%)
    • Washington (24%)

    Midpoint means a statistical median across states. Statistics are from 2020.

    See How Well Your State Is Protecting You

    Select your state in the list of links below and click "Go," to review the tables and charts within the "Cancer Risk Factor and Screening Prevalence" section to see whether your state is above, below, or in line with the national midpoint.