What are the cancer rates in Frederick?
Cancer is generally measured in two ways, by incidence (the number of new cases relative to the whole population) and mortality (the number of deaths relative to the whole population). In Frederick County as a whole, the incidence rate for all cancers is 541.4 cases of cancer per 100,000 persons, which is higher than the state average of 463.2 cases per 100,000 persons (based on 2002-2006 data from the state cancer profiles database of CDC). However, the mortality rate for cancer in Frederick County for the same period was 187.6 per 100,000 persons, which is similar to the Maryland state average of 193.3 deaths per 100,000 persons.
The CDC’s data site can be found at http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/map/map.withimage.php?24&001&090&00&0&1&0 &1&5&0#map.

The Frederick County Health Department conducted a Community Health Assessment in 2007 by surveying Frederick County residents. Participants were asked about a past diagnosis of non-skin cancer and modifiable risk factors associated with the development of cancer. The responses were then reported out separately for respondents from Central Frederick County, Northern Frederick County, and Southern Frederick County. The full Community Health Assessment can be found at http://www.frederickcountymd.gov/index.aspx?NID=2371 .
For more information: Question and Answers about Cancer Clusters (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) http://fha.maryland.gov/pdf/cancer/mcr_combined_cancer_cluster.pdf

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1. What did the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) find in their 2009 Public Health Assessment?
2. Who is responsible for collecting information about cancer?
3. What is a cancer “cluster?”
4. How are cancer cluster concerns investigated in Maryland?
5. What is the relationship between cancer and environmental exposures?
6. What are the cancer rates in Frederick?
7. What was the scope of the preliminary cancer cluster investigation by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH)?
8. Why was 2000 the earliest year of analysis in the preliminary report of the initial cancer cluster investigation?
9. What were the preliminary findings of the DHMH cancer data analysis?
10. Is the risk of non-cancer health conditions being assessed?
11. If significant excess cancers are found in a specific geographic area within the county, then what?
12. Who can I talk to for more information?