Cancer Incidence and Mortality Tables

About Michigan Cancer Data

The Michigan Cancer Surveillance Program collects cancer incidence data using North American Association of Cancer Registries (NAACR) standards and definitions. This site provides a series of tables with cancer incidence statistics through 2020 and mortality data through 2021 for the State of Michigan, along with appropriate national comparison information.

Cancer incidence and mortality data, including information by age, sex, race, cancer site and by stage at diagnosis are available for Michigan counties and local health department districts. Local area data can be accessed through the Community Health Information Cancer Site. County maps and additional cancer statistics can also be generated online at Cancer Rates Info.

Selected high points concerning these data are provided below:

	Cancer Incidence Rate Decreases Slightly in 2020 The cancer age-adjusted incidence rate in 2020 was 398.4 per 100,000 residents, substantially lower than the 2019 age-adjusted rate of 442.3. The rate remains below the peak incidence rate for Michigan of 550.0 in 1991, and highlights the continued stability in the overall cancer incidence rate for Michigan since 1994. (See Invasive Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends.)
	Cancer Mortality Rates Gradually Declining The rates for cancer mortality have been gradually declining since the 1990's in Michigan. The age-adjusted 2021 cancer mortality rate for Michigan was 159.7 per 100,000 residents compared to a rate of 202.9 in 2000. The mortality rate has been stable to declining since the early 1990's after a long history of rising rates. (See Invasive Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends.)
	Frequency of Cancer is Declining for Most Major Primary Organ Sites Lung and colorectal cancer incidence have all shown declines in recent years. While 2020 breast and prostate cancer rates decreased from 2019, this does not neccessarily indicate a longterm trend of decline. Mortality rates for the leading sites have declined gradually.
	Cancer Incidence Rates are Declining for Males and Females Declines in cancer incidence rates are evident during the 2000's for some of the leading cancer sites for both sexes. Male lung cancer rates declined in the 2000's while remaining more stable for females. Lung cancer remains more common among males than among females. (See Cancer Incidence Trends.)
	The Trend Toward Earlier Diagnosis is Continuing The pattern of earlier stage at diagnosis continued into 2020. Of the cancer cases diagnosed during 2020, 53.8 percent had localized or in situ disease. This is especially apparent for breast and prostate cancer cases with corresponding declines in late stage diagnoses over time. Staging tables are also presented for each of the leading sites. (See Cancer Incidence by Stage at Diagnosis.)
	Cancer Rates by Race Show Consistent Patterns Total cancer incidence rates for black and white females are comparable, while cancer incidence rates for all cancers are higher for black males than for white males. This is due, in particular, to higher cancer incidence for black males between the ages of 50 and 79. Breast, lung and colorectal cancer rates tend to be slightly higher for black women than for white women. For males, colorectal cancer is slightly higher among blacks, while lung and prostate cancer rates tend to be markedly higher than for white males.. (See Three-year Age-Adjusted Cancer Incidence Rates, by Race, Sex and County.)
	Detailed Primary Site/Type Data Cancer incidence and mortality increase progressively with age for all cancer sites. Relative to cancer mortality, cancers of the breast were the leading cause of death for ages < 50, followed by brain and other CNS, colon and lung. For ages 50-74, the leading sites for mortality were lung, pancreas, breast and colon. For ages 75 and over, lung remained the leading site, followed by prostate, pancreas and colon. Cancer incidence by site is more varied relative to the age of the patient. Breast and cancers across the genitourinary organs are the most common for patients under 50. At ages 50 through 74 prostate cancer is the most frequent followed by lung and breast cancer. Over 75 years of age, the four leading cancer sites are lung, breast, prostate and colon, respectively.

Grant Information

This Michigan cancer statistics website was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5, U58 DP003921, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.