Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maryland Cancer Registry?
The Maryland Cancer Registry (MCR) is a computer-based cancer incidence data system maintained under the direction of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) through a contract with a vendor. Data in the registry are used to monitor trends in cancer incidence; identify differences in cancer incidence by age, sex, race, and geographic location; plan and evaluate cancer prevention and control programs in the State; and provide a valuable resource for cancer research.
Maryland Cancer Registry Brochure
What are the risk factors for cancer?
The risk of developing cancer increases as we grow older. Most cancers affect adults 40 years of age and older.
Among the known risk factors for cancer, tobacco stands out. Cigarette smoking is associated with more than 85% of all lung cancers and with a substantial proportion of cancers of the bladder, mouth and throat, stomach, pancreas and others. Diet is also a risk factor; higher cancer rates are seen in people who eat a diet high in fat and low in fresh vegetables and fruits. It is estimated that diet and tobacco together may account for approximately 2 out of every 3 cancer deaths.
Does the environment cause cancer?
The answer depends in part on how environment is defined. Many cancer researchers use the word to mean hereditary factors, and therefore, consider things such as tobacco use, diet, alcohol, a woman's age when she has her first child, lifestyle factors, infections and exposure to sunlight. In this very broad sense, it is likely that a large percentage of cancers are environmental in their origin. However, if environment is defined more narrowly as one's surroundings, then the percentage of cancers that can be attributed to the environment is probably small. Most geographic differences in cancer rates seem to result more from the differences between people than from anything in their physical surroundings.
Maryland Department of the Environment
What if I'm concerned about the number of cancer cases in my neighborhood?
Cancer is common enough that one can expect to see many cases, usually a combination of common and less common types, in any neighborhood. The number of cases that can be expected to occur will depend on the mix of the ages and the ethnic origins of the individuals who live in the neighborhood. For example, in a community of about 1,000 people which includes many young families and persons of all races, one can expect that about 1 to 10 new cases of some type of cancer will be diagnosed every year. In a retirement community of 1,000 people, one can expect many more cases per year, between 12 and 35. The number will also be higher if the neighborhood includes many people with a history of smoking or consuming a lot of alcohol. Because over 50 percent of people diagnosed with cancer will still be alive at least five years after their diagnosis, the number of people in a neighborhood who have ever had cancer will be several times higher than the number of new cases. Cases of cancer among individuals, like many other events, do not necessarily occur in a regular fashion throughout the community; they may appear in little groups among neighboring houses, or people in the same office. This does not necessarily mean that they have the same underlying cause; the grouping may have occurred by chance.
What if I'm still concerned?
You can call you local health department. The local health department will coordinate with the Cancer Registry staff to evaluate whether the cancers you are concerned about conform to the usual types and numbers that can be expected to occur in the neighborhood, or whether they seem unusual.