Guest Contribution
Cancer is a serious problem across the country. The fact is that New Jersey is a major cancer hotspot in the country. The state, as a whole, has the 7th highest incidence rate for cancer in the entire country, with breast cancer being a particular problem with diagnoses reaching 134.3 per 100,000 residents.
But within New Jersey itself, there are big differences in how likely you are to survive cancer. If you live in Central Jersey, you have a better chance of survival than if you live in the counties of South Jersey.
Here are our findings.
How Does Central Jersey Stack Up to the Rest of the State?
Central Jersey actually has some of the lowest cancer mortality rates in the whole state. Some of the counties with low mortality rates include Middlesex, Union, Morris, and Somerset.
Compare this with South Jersey, which has the highest mortality rates in the entire state. Cape May has a rate of 573.9, whereas a Central Jersey county like Morris has a rate of 492.7. That is a huge difference.
But why is there such a big difference across the state?
The Difference is in the Demographics
The demographics of New Jersey are different from other states. Due to the high costs of living in the state, many of the people living here are either elderly or are here because they’ve always lived here. There’s not a huge influx of healthy, young people, like in neighboring New York.
We can see this by looking at high cancer counties like Cape May. There are a greater proportion of elderly smokers who grew up in a time when tobacco use was normalized and cancer prevention was barely known about.
The true facts we need to investigate are the death rates to understand cancer treatment and mortality in Central Jersey.
Higher Rates but Less Likely to Die
Central Jersey is much wealthier than in states in the Southern United States and the Midwest. So despite the fact, you are more likely to get cancer if you live in Central Jersey you’re also more likely to survive it.
The world’s longest Mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus of www.survivingmesothelioma.com explained that the differences in healthcare between the wealthier Atlantic Northeast and the Midwest are to blame. The standard of healthcare is generally better in a state like New Jersey when compared to a state like Kentucky.
How Can You Increase Your Cancer Survival Chances?
If you’re a resident of New Jersey and you’re worried about cancer, the answer from Paul is to see your doctor immediately. Beating cancer is less about the treatment and more about the timing.
The earlier you become diagnosed with cancer the more control you have over your treatment. Once cancer progresses to a certain point, dietary and lifestyle change must become more radical, and it’s not guaranteed to work.
Everyone should be checking in with their doctor for a health check at least once a year for this reason.
Do you know anyone who is either battling or has already beaten cancer?