Sublette Has Lowest Cancer Rate in Wyoming
From 1993-97, seventy-nine county residents were diagnosed with cancer; 44 died
by Rob Shaul

Sublette County had the lowest cancer incidence rate and cancer mortality rate of any county in Wyoming from 1993-1997 according to a study released by the Wyoming Department of Health.

According to the report compiled through the Wyoming Cancer Surveillance Program, there were 9,154 cases of cancer in Wyoming from 1993-1997 and 4,149 people died of the disease. Statewide, prostrate cancer rates were slightly higher than national rates. Breast, lung and colon cancer rates were below the national average. The rates were based on incidents per 100,000 people from 1993-97.

Prostate is the most common cancer in Wyoming. From 1993-97, there were 1,752 cases of prostrate cancer in Wyoming, which resulted in 324 deaths from the disease. The biggest killer in the State was lung cancer. During the study period, there were 1,203 cases of lung cancer in Wyoming. Of these, 1,080 of the patients died.

Sublette County's Numbers

Sublette County had the lowest overall cancer incidence and mortality rate from 1993-97 of any county in Wyoming. Sublette's cancer incidence rate for all cancers during this period was 248.3 per 100,000 people. The statewide incidence rate was 356.5, and the national incidence rate was 405.6.

Sublette County's mortality rate from cancer for the period was 86.3 per 100,000 people - also the lowest in the State. The statewide mortality rate for the same period was 117 and the national rate was 125.4.

Johnson County had the highest incidence rate in Wyoming during the period while Natrona County had the highest mortality rate.

When the data is analyzed by type of cancer, Sublette County ranked worse in the state for its incidence rate of prostate cancer (we ranked 6th in the State). Sublette County's prostate cancer mortality rate ranked 3rd in the state.

For all the other types of cancer, Sublette County's incidence and mortality rates ranked near the bottom in the state.

An excerpt of the report can be accessed on the Department of Health's Cancer Surveillance Program website at http://wdhfs.state.wy.us/cancer. For a copy of the complete report, contact Eunice Schleicher at 1-800-458-5847.