Losses From Smoking-Related Cancer Deaths in the U.S. Estimated

MONDAY, Aug. 22, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Person-years of life lost (PYLL) and lost earnings due to cigarette smoking-attributable cancer deaths among U.S. individuals aged 25 to 79 years were considerable in 2019, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the International Journal of Cancer.

Farhad Islami, M.D., Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues calculated the proportions and numbers of cigarette smoking-attributable cancer deaths and associated PYLL among U.S. individuals aged 25 to 79 years in 2019 and combined them with annual median earnings to estimate the lost earnings that could be attributed to cigarette smoking.

The researchers found that the estimated total PYLL and lost earnings associated with cigarette smoking-attributable cancer deaths was 2,188,195 PYLL and $20.9 billion in 2019. The highest overall age-standardized PYLL and lost earning rates were generally seen in states in the South and Midwest. For PYLL, the estimated rate per 100,000 population ranged from 352 to 1,337 in Utah and West Virginia, respectively, and for lost earnings, there was variation seen from $4.3 to $14.8 million in Idaho and Missouri, respectively. If all states had achieved the age-specific PYLL and lost earning rates in Utah, 58.2 percent of estimated PYLL and 50.5 percent of lost earnings in 2019 could have been avoided nationally (1,274,178 PYLL and $10.5 billion).

"Broad and equitable implementation and enforcement of proven tobacco control interventions across all states could substantially reduce cancer deaths and the associated economic burden," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and health care technology industries.

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