Family Life

07.24.12 | Sarah Harnisch

There are higher lung cancer rates in upstate New York than in New York City. The American Cancer Society issued a report Monday based on state cancer registry data from 2004 to 2008. They say prostate, colorectal, breast and lung cancers account for about half the state's cases and deaths. State health department data shows a 13 percent smoking rate among city residents compared with 17 percent upstate. They attribute the trend to higher smoking rates in poorer areas. In 2011, the Society estimates 107-thousand New Yorkers were diagnosed with cancer while 34-thousand died from the disease.