Kenosha’s cancer conundrum
Incidence rate rising here, falling elsewhere in region

BY JOE POTENTE jpotente@kenoshanews.com

    Incidences of cancer are increasing in Kenosha County while they are declining elsewhere in the region, a recent study indicates.

    And while cancer mortality rates are dropping here, they are falling at faster rates elsewhere in southeastern Wisconsin.

    Gary Brown, executive director of Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services Inc., said he believes these trends are another emblem of Kenosha County’s battle with smoking and obesity — two risk factors the area continues to struggle with more than elsewhere.

    “I think things nationally are going in the right direction with cancer,” Brown said Monday. “But when you look at Kenosha County, it tends to be a little different when you start breaking down the numbers here.”

Rate grows here 

    The latest Cancer Incidence and Mortality report from the state Department of Health Services studies trends from 2002 through 2006. It’s a follow-up to an earlier study of 1998 to 2002.

    While incidence rates for all types of cancer declined 2.55 percent statewide between the two reports’ spans, the overall cancer rate grew 0.33 percent in Kenosha County. That came as incidences of all cancers fell 4.55 percent in Racine County and 2.49 percent in Milwaukee County.

    The lung cancer rate grew 0.76 percent in Kenosha County while it fell nearly 5 percent in Racine and 1.04 percent in Milwaukee.

    Mortality rates from all cancers fell roughly 1 percent in Kenosha between the two reports’ periods. But that pales in comparison to a statewide decrease of 4.26 percent and declines of 5.22 percent in Racine and 5.9 percent in Milwaukee.

Seeking an answer

    Laurie Pagel, state public relations manager for the American Cancer Society, said she was at a loss for just why Kenosha County is lagging behind in these cancer indicators.

    “This is why we need to continue to support research into why,” Pagel said. “Why are people being diagnosed with cancer living in certain areas? What’s going on in these counties?”

    Brown noted the relatively high degree of tobacco use and obesity in Kenosha County.

County seventh in state 

    Kenosha finished seventh in a population-adjusted ranking of Wisconsin counties with the most smokers, conducted by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute in 2008. The county ranked sixth in obesity.

    “I think this gets into the long-term impact of having a higher number of people in our county smoke,” Brown said.

Targeting tobacco 

    Joyce Erickson, coordinator for the Kenosha County Tobacco-Free Coalition, said the new report’s findings underlie what her organization has been preaching to lawmakers and the people of Kenosha — that the area has a problem and tobacco use is at the center of it.

    Erickson, who has been tapped to lead a new, combined coalition for Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties, said she believes the workplace smoking ban that will take effect statewide July 5 will effect positive change.

Hoping for improvement

    “Hopefully all of these statistics, in our case, will improve,” Erickson said. “It’s been proven 100 percent across the United States — whenever you start with smoke-free workplace ordinances, one of the first things people see a drop in is heart attacks.”

    The next step, Erickson hopes, will be a drop in cancers.