Louisiana has the 28th highest incidence and 2nd highest death (mortality) rate of breast cancer in the U.S. (Figure 1 & Figure 2).
Figure 1: Click to enlarge
Figure 2: Click to enlarge
Louisiana’s breast cancer mortality rate is statistically significantly higher than the rest of the country: In 2011-2015:
124.1 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer, while the national average was 126.0 per 100,000.
An average of 23.7 Louisiana residents per 100,000 died each year from this disease, while the national average was 20.9 deaths per 100,000.
Figure 4: Click to enlarge
Figure 3: Click to enlarge
New Orleans, Southeast, Northeast, Acadiana, and Southwest, Louisiana have the highest breast cancer death rates in the state (Figure 3 & Figure 4).
Breast cancer is an equal-opportunity killer, with Louisiana white women are slightly below the national death rate while black women are significantly higher than the rest of the country (Figure 5 & Figure 6).
Figure 5: Click to enlarge
Figure 6: Click to enlarge
Breast cancer is one of the less-expensive cancers to treat. However, the treatment and follow-up care can be a strain financially, even with health insurance.
Figure 7: Click to enlarge
These estimated and projected costs of care by age, gender and phase of care (per patient) through the year 2020. They were calculated separately for multiple cancer sites using the most recent available U.S. population projections, cancer incidence, survival, and cost of care data (Figure 7).1
More information on cancer incidence and mortality is available from the Louisiana Tumor Registry (http://sph.lsuhsc.edu/data-use). Statistics other than what this site offers can be requested using the form on the Louisiana Tumor Registry website.
1. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Prevalence and Cost of Care Projections.