Cancer Incidence - Leukemia
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Incidence of Leukemia by County, New Mexico, 2017-2021
Why Is This Important?
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells that affects both adults and children. Leukemia is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in children and adolescents, and often arises very rapidly over a short period (acute form). In adults, leukemia is more likely to take years to develop (chronic form). Leukemia is further grouped by the type of blood cell affected. The major childhood leukemia include acute lymphocytic and acute myeloid leukemia, whereas in adults, major subtypes include chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. The causes of leukemia are not well understood, but appear to involve a combination of hereditary and environmental factors. Each year, leukemia accounts for approximately 3% of new cancer cases and 4% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. The five-year survival rate is about 66%.
Definition
Leukemia incidence refers to the number of persons newly diagnosed with leukemia within a specified time period and age group. Measures include 1) the number of newly diagnosed leukemia cases; and 2) age-adjusted leukemia incidence rates (adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 US standard population). Measures are calculated for childern and all ages. Childhood rates (< 15 years of age and < 20 years of age) are expressed per 1,000,000 persons. Rates for all ages are expressed per 100,000 persons.
Data Sources
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/) - New Mexico Tumor Registry
(https://nmtrweb.unm.edu/) - Cancer Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program
(http://www.seer.cancer.gov)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | The number of leukemia cases newly diagnosed in New Mexico residents within a specified time period and age group. The data are based on the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program incidence site recodes for leukemia, including: 35011 to 35043 (all leukemias combined). http://seer.cancer.gov/siterecode/ |
| Denominator: | The estimated population of New Mexico residents within a specified time period and age group. |
How Are We Doing?
New Mexico has averaged about 317 new cases of leukemia per year between 2016 and 2020. Rates of leukemia diagnosis in New Mexico as well as the US have been relatively stable in recent decades.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Nationally, the rate of new cases of leukemia was 14.1 per 100,000 population. New Mexico was lower by comparison, with an incidence rate of 12.6 per 100,000 population. Among children under 20, New Mexico also has a lower incidence rate than the national incidence (49 vs 46 per 1,000,000, respectively).
Evidence-based Practices
https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/cancer/evidence-based-resources
Other Objectives
CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking, Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (EPHT NCDM)
More Resources
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Leukemia. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/leuks.html SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Childhood Leukemia. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/childleuk.html
Health Program Information
https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/health/cancer/CancerConcernsWorkgroup.html