Vital Signs: Cancer and Tobacco Use

Tobacco use causes many cancers

Updated July 28, 2017

Tobacco use* causes cancer throughout the body.

Picture of body identifying 12 tobacco-related cancers.

Mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx)
Voice box (larynx)
Esophagus
Lung, bronchus, and trachea
Stomach
Kidney and renal pelvis
Pancreas
Liver
Urinary bladder
Uterine cervix
Colon and rectum
Acute myeloid leukemia

* Tobacco use includes smoked (cigarettes and cigars) and smokeless (snuff and chewing tobacco) tobacco products that, to date, have been shown to cause cancer.

Tobacco-related cancers are higher among some groups:

Table of groups that are more likely to get tobacco-related cancers

Group	Photo Description
Men	Photo shows two men talking.
African Americans	Photo shows an African American woman and man standing next to each other.
People living in counties with low education	Photo shows traditional rural classroom with wooden desks and wooden floor.
People living in counties with high poverty	Photo shows low-income apartment complex.

SOURCE: CDC Vital Signs, November, 2016

Tobacco-related cancer deaths have decreased over time

Year	Male	Female
1980	180.4	80.6
1981	179.9	80.7
1982	181.2	81.4
1983	180.4	82.7
1984	181.6	83.8
1985	180.6	84.2
1986	179.6	84.5
1987	179.8	84.9
1988	178.7	85.5
1989	179.3	87.2
1990	180.2	88.0
1991	178.3	88.4
1992	175.7	88.8
1993	174.4	89.0
1994	171.8	88.8
1995	169.5	89.2
1996	166.6	88.5
1997	164.3	88.0
1998	162.1	88.0
1999	158.1	86.4
2000	157.3	87.2
2001	155.7	86.5
2002	153.6	86.3
2003	150.6	85.3
2004	147.6	84.0
2005	146.2	83.2
2006	142.9	82.6
2007	140.3	81.7
2008	138.1	80.4
2009	135.1	78.6
2010	133.7	77.9
2011	130.5	76.6
2012	128.3	75.4
2013	125.4	74.0
2014	122.8	72.9

Tobacco-related cancers across the United States

US map of annual rate of tobacco-related cancers per 100,000 persons (2009–2013)

Category	Rank	State	Rate
Category 1	1	Puerto Rico	126
126 – 182	2	Utah	131
	3	New Mexico	154
YELLOW	4	Colorado	159
	5	Wyoming	166
	6	Arizona	168
	7	California	169
	8	Idaho	175
	9	Hawaii	177
	10	Minnesota	181
	11	Virginia	181
	12	Montana	182
Category 2	13	Texas	184
183 – 196	14	Oregon	184
	15	Maryland	184
ORANGE	16	Nebraska	187
	17	South Dakota	187
	18	Washington	188
	19	North Dakota	189
	20	Florida	189
	21	Vermont	192
	22	Kansas	192
	23	Wisconsin	193
	24	New Jersey	196
Category 3	25	Georgia	197
197 – 205	26	Alaska	197
	27	District of Columbia	198
RED	28	Massachusetts	199
	29	South Carolina	199
	30	North Carolina	199
	31	New York	200
	32	Michigan	200
	33	New Hampshire	201
	34	Connecticut	202
	35	Iowa	202
	36	Ohio	203
	37	Oklahoma	205
	38	Rhode Island	205
Category 4	39	Alabama	207
206 – 248	40	Illinois	208
	41	Pennsylvania	208
BROWN	42	Delaware	209
	43	Missouri	209
	44	Indiana	210
	45	Tennessee	210
	46	Arkansas	210
	47	Maine	211
	48	Louisiana	221
	49	Mississippi	222
	50	West Virginia	225
	51	Kentucky	248
Category 5 – no data	52	Nevada

More data available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs

ABOUT 1.3 MILLION tobacco-related cancer deaths have been avoided since 1990.

CDC funds 65 Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs (US states, DC, tribes, and territories) to:

Graphic of cancer control continuum highlighting prevention, early detection and care, survivorship, and good health for all.

PREVENTION

CREATE

Tobacco-free environments to help prevent cancer.

EARLY DETECTION AND CARE

INCREASE

Access to early detection and care for tobacco-related cancers.

SURVIVORSHIP

HELP

Cancer survivors who use tobacco quit.

GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL

IMPROVE

Cancer outcomes for everyone, especially communities with higher tobacco-related cancers and deaths.

SOURCE: CDC Vital Signs, November, 2016