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Cancer and Tobacco Use

Tobacco use causes many cancers

Graphic: Tobacco use* causes cancer throughout the body

Tobacco use* causes cancer throughout the body.

Picture of body identifying 12 tobacco-related cancers.

  • Mouth and throat (oral cavity and pharynx)
  • Voice box (larynx)
  • Esophagus
  • Lung, bronchus, and trachea
  • Stomach
  • Kidney and renal pelvis
  • Pancreas
  • Liver
  • Urinary bladder
  • Uterine cervix
  • Colon and rectum
  • Acute myeloid leukemia

* Tobacco use includes smoked (cigarettes and cigars) and smokeless (snuff and chewing tobacco) tobacco products that, to date, have been shown to cause cancer.

Tobacco-related cancers are higher among some groups:

Table of groups that are more likely to get tobacco-related cancers

Group Photo Description
Men Photo shows two men talking.
African Americans Photo shows an African American woman and man standing next to each other.
People living in counties with low education Photo shows traditional rural classroom with wooden desks and wooden floor.
People living in counties with high poverty Photo shows low-income apartment complex.

SOURCE: CDC Vital Signs, November, 2016

Tobacco-related cancer deaths have decreased over time

Year Male Female
1980 180.4 80.6
1981 179.9 80.7
1982 181.2 81.4
1983 180.4 82.7
1984 181.6 83.8
1985 180.6 84.2
1986 179.6 84.5
1987 179.8 84.9
1988 178.7 85.5
1989 179.3 87.2
1990 180.2 88.0
1991 178.3 88.4
1992 175.7 88.8
1993 174.4 89.0
1994 171.8 88.8
1995 169.5 89.2
1996 166.6 88.5
1997 164.3 88.0
1998 162.1 88.0
1999 158.1 86.4
2000 157.3 87.2
2001 155.7 86.5
2002 153.6 86.3
2003 150.6 85.3
2004 147.6 84.0
2005 146.2 83.2
2006 142.9 82.6
2007 140.3 81.7
2008 138.1 80.4
2009 135.1 78.6
2010 133.7 77.9
2011 130.5 76.6
2012 128.3 75.4
2013 125.4 74.0
2014 122.8 72.9

Tobacco-related cancers across the United States

US map of annual rate of tobacco-related cancers per 100,000 persons (2009–2013)

Category Rank State

Rate
Category 1 1 Puerto Rico

126
126 – 182 2 Utah

131
  3 New Mexico

154
YELLOW 4 Colorado

159
  5 Wyoming

166
  6 Arizona

168
  7 California

169
  8 Idaho

175
  9 Hawaii

177
  10 Minnesota

181
  11 Virginia

181
  12 Montana

182
Category 2 13 Texas

184
183 – 196 14 Oregon

184
  15 Maryland

184
ORANGE 16 Nebraska

187
  17 South Dakota

187
  18 Washington

188
  19 North Dakota

189
  20 Florida

189
  21 Vermont

192
  22 Kansas

192
  23 Wisconsin

193
  24 New Jersey

196
Category 3 25 Georgia

197
197 – 205 26 Alaska

197
  27 District of Columbia

198
RED 28 Massachusetts

199
  29 South Carolina

199
  30 North Carolina

199
  31 New York

200
  32 Michigan

200
  33 New Hampshire

201
  34 Connecticut

202
  35 Iowa

202
  36 Ohio

203
  37 Oklahoma

205
  38 Rhode Island

205
Category 4 39 Alabama

207
206 – 248 40 Illinois

208
  41 Pennsylvania

208
BROWN 42 Delaware

209
  43 Missouri

209
  44 Indiana

210
  45 Tennessee

210
  46 Arkansas

210
  47 Maine

211
  48 Louisiana

221
  49 Mississippi

222
  50 West Virginia

225
  51 Kentucky

248
Category 5 – no data 52 Nevada  

More data available at: www.cdc.gov/uscs

ABOUT 1.3 MILLION tobacco-related cancer deaths have been avoided since 1990.

CDC funds 65 Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs (US states, DC, tribes, and territories) to:

Graphic of cancer control continuum highlighting prevention, early detection and care,  survivorship, and good health for all.

PREVENTION

CREATE

Tobacco-free environments to help prevent cancer.

EARLY DETECTION AND CARE

INCREASE

Access to early detection and care for tobacco-related cancers.

SURVIVORSHIP

HELP

Cancer survivors who use tobacco quit.

GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL

IMPROVE

Cancer outcomes for everyone, especially communities with higher tobacco-related cancers and deaths.

SOURCE: CDC Vital Signs, November, 2016

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