West Virginia Cancer Statistics

Cancer Statistics

Approximately 7.1% of West Virginia adults had skin cancer and 7.5% had some other type of cancer.
About 1 in 8 West Virginia adults are cancer survivors (13.3%).
Cancer prevalence was significantly higher among females than males.
Over one-fourth of West Virginia seniors had cancer during their lifetime (29.0%).

Cancer Screening

Among women age 40 and older, 27.8% had not had a mammogram in the past 2 years.
Almost one-fourth of adult women in West Virginia did not have a pap test in the past 3 years (24.0%).
Among men age 50 and older, 50.8% did not have a PSA test in the past year.
A large proportion of adults age 50 and older did not have a fecal occult blood test in the past year (87.1%) which ranked West Virginia the 6th lowest in the nation.
Among adults age 50 and older, 40.0% have not had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy in the past 10 years.

Caregiver Status

Approximately 19.3% of West Virginia adults provided regular care or assistance to a friend or family member in the past month.
The prevalence of caregiving in the past month was significantly higher among women (22.2%) than among men (16.1%).
West Virginia adults age 55-64 had the highest prevalence of caregiving in the past month and the 45-54 age group had the 2nd highest prevalence.

Tobacco Use

More than one-fourth of adults (28.2%) currently smoke cigarettes every day or some days which ranked West Virginia the 2nd highest nationally.
The prevalence of cigarette smoking was significantly higher among Multiracial, Non-Hispanics than among White, Non-Hispanics.
Approximately 51.0% of current smokers had tried to quit smoking in the past year which was lowest in the nation.
West Virginia ranked the highest in the nation in smokeless tobacco use (8.6%).

2012 West Virginia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Report, West Virginia Health Statistics Center