Cancer - Women in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. The most common cancer among women is breast cancer, accounting for approximately 32% of new cases. The deadliest cancer among women is lung cancer, which accounts for an estimated 21% of cancer deaths among women. 

The most significant risk factor for cancer is aging — half of all new cancer diagnoses occur in adults age 67 and older. Other cancer risks include cigarette and tobacco use, environmental carcinogens, genetic factors and viral and bacterial infections. 

In 2020, the annual cost of cancer care in the U.S. was approximately $200 billion. That number is expected to rise to $246 billion by 2030. In addition, the estimated cost of lost productivity from cancer mortality was predicted to be $147.6 billion in 2020.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) is higher among: 

• Women ages 35-44 compared with those ages 18-34.
• Multiracial and white women compared with Black women.
• Women with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those who have incomes of $75,000 or more.
• Women living in nonmetropolitan areas compared with women in metropolitan areas.
• Women with self-care difficulty, who have a prevalence nearly four times that of women without a disability.
• Women who have served in the U.S. armed forces, who have a prevalence that is twice as high as women who have not served.

A 2022 study identified a rising trend in aggressive uterine and breast cancer diagnoses, disproportionately affecting Black women. While the incidence rates of uterine cancer were similar for Black women and white women, the mortality rate was twice as high for Black women. Black women also experience higher rates of aggressive breast cancer subtypes, such as estrogen-receptor-negative and triple-negative, than the general population.

While there is no universal cure, there are ways for providers and individuals to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Some evidence-based approaches include: 

• Lifestyle changes: Quitting smoking at any age will lower the risk of developing cancer. Smoking is responsible for approximately 19% of all cancers. Engaging in more physical activity and reducing alcohol consumption are also associated with a lower risk of certain cancers.
• Healthy eating: Maintaining a healthy weight and consuming a balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and other healthy options can reduce the risk of certain cancers. 
• Vaccination: Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) can help reduce the incidence of cervical and other types of cancer. Additionally, the hepatitis B vaccine can help reduce the risk of liver cancer.
• Screening: Many cancers are treatable when detected early through screening. Routine screening for breast, cervical and colon cancers can improve outcomes by detecting cancer in earlier stages. The significant reduction in breast cancer death rates in the last 30 years has been attributed to both early screening and advances in treatment. Cervical cancer incidence rates, too, have decreased by more than 50% since the 1970s, largely due to Pap smear screening.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends that all women be screened for breast cancer every two years, starting at age 40 and continuing through age 74. This is a change from the previous recommendation to initiate screening between ages 40-50 based on individual health history and preferences. More information on specific screening, counseling and prevention recommendations for cancer is available from the USPSTF website.

Healthy People 2030 has multiple objectives related to cancer, including:

• Reducing the overall cancer death rate.
• Reducing the colorectal cancer death rate.
• Reducing the death rate from breast cancer among women.

American Cancer Society. “Cancer Facts & Figures 2025.” Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2025/2025-cancer-facts-and-figures-acs.pdf#page=17.

Bradley, Cathy J., K. Robin Yabroff, Bassam Dahman, Eric J. Feuer, Angela Mariotto, and Martin L. Brown. “Productivity Costs of Cancer Mortality in the United States: 2000–2020.” JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute 100, no. 24 (December 17, 2008): 1763–70. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djn384.

Chow, Ryan D., Elizabeth H. Bradley, and Cary P. Gross. “Comparison of Cancer-Related Spending and Mortality Rates in the US vs 21 High-Income Countries.” JAMA Health Forum 3, no. 5 (May 27, 2022): e221229. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.1229.

Cronin, Kathleen A., Susan Scott, Albert U. Firth, Hyuna Sung, S. Jane Henley, Recinda L. Sherman, Rebecca L. Siegel, et al. “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Part 1: National Cancer Statistics.” Cancer 128, no. 24 (December 15, 2022): 4251–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34479.

Mariotto, Angela B., Lindsey Enewold, Jingxuan Zhao, Christopher A. Zeruto, and K. Robin Yabroff. “Medical Care Costs Associated With Cancer Survivorship in the United States.” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 29, no. 7 (July 2020): 1304–12. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-1534.

Murphy, Sherry L., Kenneth D. Kochanek, Jiaquan Xu, and Elizabeth Arias. “Mortality in the United States, 2023.” NCHS Data Brief No. 521. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, December 19, 2024.https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/170564.