In MN, between 4 and 5 people out of 10 will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Tobacco is the single leading cause of cancer, and 30% of cancer-related deaths are from tobacco use. For more information on how to reduce cancer risk, refer to MDH.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in MN among men and women. When all cancers are combined into one group, cancer is the 7th most frequent chronic disease. Breast cancer accounts for 31.2% of the top ten cancers that occurred among MN women in 2021. In general, lung and bronchus cancer constitute the leading cause of cancer deaths, with the second highest rate of incidence but the number one death rate.

Source: CDC

Source: CDC

Cancer Mortality

For women in Minnesota, breast cancer has the highest incidence rate, while lung and bronchus cancer has the highest mortality rate. For American Indian and Alaskan Native women, lung and bronchus cancer have the highest incidence and mortality rate in MN. Colon and rectum cancer has the 3rd highest incidence rate for Black women compared to the 4th highest for the general Minnesota population.

Source: CDC

Source: CDC

Source: CDC

Extra sources: The CDC and MDH break down data by cancer type, sex, and age.