A recent study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) reported that nearly 123,000 cancer deaths, or close to 30% of all cancer deaths, were from cigarette smoking in the United States in 2019, leading to more than 2 million person-years of lost life and nearly $21 billion in annual lost earnings.1 These losses were disproportionately higher in states with weaker tobacco control policies in the South and Midwest. The results were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Farhad Islami, MD, PhD
“Our study provides further evidence that smoking continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related death and to have a huge impact on the economy across the United States,” said Farhad Islami, MD, PhD, Senior Scientific Director, Cancer Disparity Research at the ACS and lead author of the study. “We must continue to help individuals to quit using tobacco, prevent anyone from starting, and work with elected officials at all levels of government for broad and equitable implementation of proven tobacco control interventions.”
Study Details
For the study, the authors estimated the proportions and numbers of cigarette smoking–attributable cancer deaths and associated person-years of lost life and lost earnings among individuals, aged 25 to 79, in 2019 in the United States, nationally and by state. Since smoking-attributable cancer deaths occur more commonly in individuals with lower socioeconomic status, they used education-specific data for each state to account for variations in employment status, wages, and smoking-attributable mortality by socioeconomic status. Cancers associated with cigarette smoking that were evaluated in this study included cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colorectum, liver and intrahepatic bile duct, pancreas, larynx, lungs and bronchus, cervix, kidney and renal pelvis, urinary bladder, and acute myeloid leukemia.
The study results showed death rates were highest in the 13 states with generally weaker tobacco control policies and higher cigarette smoking prevalence. Also, the annual person-years of lost life rate for these states was 46.8% higher than in other states (1,431 per 100,000 population compared with 975 per 100,000). In addition, the lost earnings rate for these states was 44% higher ($11.2 million per 100,000 population compared with $7.8 million per 100,000) than in other states.
The study also found that if person-years of lost life and lost earning rates in Utah (the state with the lowest person-years of lost life rate) had been achieved by all states, more than half of the estimated total person-years of lost life and lost earnings in 2019 nationally would have been avoided. The proportion of avoidable person-years of lost life and lost earnings by state exceeded 50% in 39 states for person-years of lost life and in 30 states for lost earnings.
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