The Counties With the Highest Cancer Rates in Maine in 2024

Cancer sucks. It is an unfair, devastating illness that forever changes the course of lives, both directly and indirectly.

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Unfortunately, cancer impacts us all, either firsthand or through acquaintances and their connections.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 20 million new cancer cases occurred globally in 2022, resulting in nearly 10 million deaths.

Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer predicts a 50% annual increase in new cancer cases worldwide over the next 15 years and a 77% increase by 2050. The primary reasons for this surge are an aging population and heightened exposure to risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, environmental pollution, and inadequate physical exercise.

The World Health Organization confirms,

Lung cancer was the most commonly occurring cancer worldwide with 2.5 million new cases accounting for 12.4% of the total new cases. Female breast cancer ranked second (2.3 million cases, 11.6%), followed by colorectal cancer (1.9 million cases, 9.6%), prostate cancer (1.5 million cases, 7.3%), and stomach cancer (970,000 cases, 4.9%).

World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4th, is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control. Its main theme aims to draw attention to and allocate resources for ensuring equal access to systematic testing, early diagnosis, and treatment for cancer worldwide.

Unfortunately, unequal access to resources results in uncertain outcomes between developed and developing nations. World Cancer Day calls for concerted efforts to reduce these disparities in the future.

Early detection of some cancers may increase the chances of survival and lead to a comfortable and happy life afterward.

Stacker recently published a report ranking the counties in our Pine Tree State with the highest cancer rates, utilizing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.