Geographic net survival rates are determined by a patient’s home address at the time of diagnosis. Even if a patient moves after diagnosis, perhaps to be closer to a cancer treatment center, he or she will still be included in the net survival rate for the original county of residence.
A region’s net cancer survival rate reflects the population in the county: how often they screen for cancer, the prevalence of risky behaviors such as smoking, the prevalence of impoverished neighborhoods, and access to quality treatment.
All cancers
Clear geographic disparities could be seen in Pennsylvania counties’ five-year net cancer survival rates. Southwest and Northeast Pennsylvania had most of the counties with the lowest five-year net cancer survival rates. Many counties in the South-central and Southeast health districts had relatively high rates.
Two counties stood out from their neighbors. Centre county had a higher rate than surrounding counties, while Philadelphia had a lower rate than surrounding counties. In fact, Philadelphia had the lowest rate of all the counties.
Noteworthy sites
For any specific cancer type and specific county, few cases meet the requirements of the study. This weakens the accuracy of net survival estimates. Because of this, no difference between any two counties or health districts could be confidently claimed for any cancer site.
However, maps of net survival can show useful geographic patterns.
Lung and bronchus cancer
Counties with poor rates for net lung and bronchus cancer survival mostly lie within the “rural T,” which includes the counties up the center and across the northern half of Pennsylvania.
Prostate cancer
When looking at net prostate cancer survival rates by county, 12 were above 100 percent. This was likely from lifestyles and behaviors that were not considered by the life tables. The only county rates below 90 percent were unreliable. Out of six such counties, the smallest 95 percent confidence interval was 25.2 percentage points wide.
County and district maps
Figure 35: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, all Cancers
Figure 36: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, all Cancers
Figure 37: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Oral Cavity and Pharynx
Figure 38: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Oral Cavity and Pharynx
Figure 39: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Esophageal Cancer
Figure 40: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Esophageal Cancer
Figure 41: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Stomach Cancer
Figure 42: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Stomach Cancer
Figure 43: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Colorectal Cancer
Figure 44: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Colorectal Cancer
Figure 45: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct
Figure 46: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct
Figure 47: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Pancreatic Cancer
Figure 48: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Pancreatic Cancer
Figure 49: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Laryngeal Cancer
Figure 50: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Laryngeal Cancer
Figure 51: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Lung and Bronchus
Figure 52: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Lung and Bronchus
Figure 53: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Melanoma of the Skin
Figure 54: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Melanoma of the Skin
Figure 55: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Breast Cancer
Figure 56: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Breast Cancer
Figure 57: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cervical Cancer
Figure 58: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cervical Cancer
Figure 59: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Corpus and Uterus, NOS
Figure 60: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Corpus and Uterus, NOS
Figure 61: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Ovarian Cancer
Figure 62: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Ovarian Cancer
Figure 63: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Prostate Cancer
Figure 64: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Prostate Cancer
Figure 65: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Testicular Cancer
Figure 66: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Testicular Cancer
Figure 67: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Urinary Bladder Cancer
Figure 68: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Urinary Bladder Cancer
Figure 69: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Kidney and Renal Pelvis
Figure 70: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Kidney and Renal Pelvis
Figure 71: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Cancer of the Brain and Other Nervous System
Figure 72: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Cancer of the Brain and Other Nervous System
Figure 73: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Thyroid Cancer
Figure 74: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Thyroid Cancer
Figure 75: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Figure 76: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Figure 77: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Hodgkin Lymphoma
Figure 78: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Hodgkin Lymphoma
Figure 79: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Myeloma
Figure 80: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Myeloma
Figure 81: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by County, Leukemia
Figure 82: Five-Year net Survival Rates Among Pennsylvanians, Aged 15+, by District, Leukemia
