Utah Cancer Registry

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What can I do to lower my risk of developing or dying from cancer?
  2. How does cancer in Utah compare to other states in the U.S.?
  3. Why is the Utah Cancer Registry allowed to collect private information? Is my information secure? How does HIPAA affect this information?
  4. A large number of people on my block have cancer; is there something wrong with this neighborhood?
  5. How can I apply for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program ("Downwinders")?

 1. What can I do to lower my risk of developing or dying from cancer?

  • Don't smoke, or dip or chew tobacco
  • Eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day
  • Cut down the amount of fat in your diet
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
  • Try to get some exercise every day
  • Protect yourself from the sun and avoid getting sunburned
  • Women need to examine their breasts once a month, as well as get regular breast examinations, mammograms, and Pap smears
  • Men should examine their testes regularly
  • Discuss with your doctor the advisability of colon cancer screening
  • Ask your doctor for other specific recommendations, particularly if you have a family history of cancer

For more information about cancer and cancer risks, please see the Huntsman Online Educational Brochures, or other links on this website.

2. How does cancer in Utah compare to other states in the U.S.?

Please see the Statistics & Publications page of this website for cancer rates in Utah compared to the U.S. The Cancer Statistics Review on the SEER website is also an excellent source for cancer statistics, as are the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Utah State Health Department.

In general, Utah has much lower rates of cancer than other states in the U.S. The lower rates here can, at least partially, be explained by the demographics of Utah. Over half of the Utah population are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormon Church. This religion encourages behaviors that can affect cancer rates; specifically, abstinence from smoking. The low number of smokers in the state results in fewer smoking-related cancers: cancers of the lung, bronchus, and others. Because of this, Utah has consistently had the lowest death rate for average annual deaths related to smoking in the U.S.

For more information about the demographics of Utah, please go to the Utah State Demographics website. The best source for smoking and screening rates in Utah can be found in the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.

3. Why is the Utah Cancer Registry allowed to collect private information? Is my information secure? How does HIPAA affect this information?

There are many reportable diseases in Utah, such as measles and salmonella, which health care practitioners are legally required to report to the Utah State Health Department. In some states, like Utah, cancer is also a reportable disease. The Utah State Health Department has given authority to the Utah Cancer Registry to collect information on all people diagnosed with cancer in Utah, under the Cancer Reporting Rule, R384-100.

We take this responsibility seriously. We only report aggregate rates and numbers. Absolutely no personal or identifying information, such as name or social security number, is given to researchers without authorization from the individual patient. If researchers want to use information from the Utah Cancer Registry, such as contacting Utahns diagnosed with prostate cancer, they must gain approval from an Institutional Review Board and from the Advisory Research Committee at the Utah Cancer Registry, and then contact all of the patients individually for their permission.

Because the Utah Cancer Registry falls under the definition of a public health entity, the Cancer Reporting Rule takes precedence over the recent legislation called HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. For more information regarding cancer reporting and HIPAA, please go to the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries website.

4. A large number of people on my block have cancer; is there something wrong with this neighborhood?

This question has several factors to consider before answering:

  • Cancer is not one disease. "Cancer" is a general term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. But the cause and nature of specific diseases such as lung cancer, skin cancer, and breast cancer, can vary dramatically.
  • Some cancers are more common than others. The common cancers include: cancers of the breast, colon and rectum, lung, and prostate. Somewhat less frequent, but still common, are cancers of the bladder, cervix, kidney, mouth, ovary, pancreas, stomach, throat, and uterus, and some leukemias, lymphomas, and melanomas.
  • Cancer is generally a disease affecting older people. As a neighborhood grows older, then, we would expect to see more cancer develop.
  • Cancers affect people of different genders and ethnicities disproportionately. For example, American Indians have lower rates of skin cancer than people of other backgrounds. And men tend to have higher rates of lung cancer than women.
  • Cancers are usually caused by other factors than the environment. This, of course, depends on how one defines "environment." Smoking, diet, alcohol, how old a woman is when she has her first child, other lifestyle factors, infections, and exposure to sunlight might be considered part of a person's environment. 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 ascribed to the environment is probably small.
  • Cancers have a long incubation period. While exposures that cause infectious diseases may occur a few hours or days in the past. With cancer and other chronic diseases, the exposures, if any, could have occurred years, even decades, ago. Therefore, determining any environmental contribution to the cancer in a particular neighborhood, where new people have moved in, and many have left, is difficult.
  • Anyone can develop cancer, even children and young adults who lead active, healthy lives.
    Consider these factors and the cancer in your neighborhood. If you see something out of the ordinary, such as large numbers of people with one type of an uncommon cancer, or if cancers usually seen in adults are seen in children, or several cancers were diagnosed in a short period of time, then there may be cause for concern. In this case, it is best to contact your local health department.

5. How can I apply for compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program ("Downwinders")?

If you are a claimant or beneficiary please go to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program's web site for more information or contact the Department of Justice at 1-800-729-7327.