Report says cancer tally rising in Nevada

In its annual state-by-state report, released Tuesday, the society predicted Nevada will see 8,100 new cases of cancer this year - about 500 more than it forecast for last year. That's an increase of nearly 7 percent.

The annual report also projects 3,800 Nevadans will die from cancer this year, with about one-third of those deaths attributable to lung and bronchial cancer.

Lung cancer remains the No. 1 cause of cancer death in the country, with an estimated 158,900 deaths expected in 1999.

John Spilotro of the society's Las Vegas office said the high number of projected lung cancer deaths fits with the makeup of the state's population.

"Our population is getting older, and we're also at the high end of the national average for smokers," he said, noting that close to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths are attributable to smoking. About 28 percent of Nevada's adults are cigarette smokers.

But the problem begins in high school where Nevada, like most other states, is seeing an increase in young smokers.

Nationally, cigarette smoking among high school students in 1997 was 32 percent higher than in 1991.

In Nevada, the study found that about 70 percent of high school girls and 67 percent of high school boys have tried cigarette smoking, but only about 14 percent of each category were frequent users in 1997.

"Current cigarette smoking (nationwide) increased 80 percent among black students, 34 percent among Hispanic students, and 28 percent among white students," the study said.

Spilotro said the society's projections for this year also show that 1,000 Nevada women will contract breast cancer this year, resulting in 300 deaths, and there will be 1,100 new cases of prostate cancer in the state that result in 200 deaths.

The study that accompanied the society's report also lists Nevada, along with California, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Virginia, New Jersey and Maine as states where about 27 percent to 30 percent of adults are overweight.

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