Problem/Objective: Analysis of state and regional tobacco-associated cancer trends is critical for the identification of high-risk regions of the country that require the attention of the prevention and public health community. This study compares Florida cancer trends with pooled data obtained from nine state and metropolitan area Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-9) registries.

Methods: Age-adjusted cancer incidence trends were evaluated using joinpoint regression analysis for years 1981-2001. Pooled, age-adjusted incidence rates and standardized incidence rate ratios were computed for each tobacco-associated cancer for the years 1999-2001 to compare Florida to SEER-9.

Results: Historical incidence rates examined, for years 1981-2001, varied considerably in Florida relative to SEER-9. Lung cancer incidence rates remained largely unchanged for white female Floridians since 1992 while in SEER-9 a significant annual reduction in rates of 2.5% was noted for years 1998-2001. Oral cancer incidence rates among white male Floridians have been flat since 1981; among SEER-9 white males, rates have declined annually 1.4% during this time period. For years 1999-2001, black female and male Floridians had significantly lower rates of lung, bladder, and kidney cancer relative to SEER-9 black females and males. The opposite pattern was evident for white female and male Floridians with significantly higher rates of lung, oral, and laryngeal cancer relative to white SEER-9 females and males.

Conclusions: Progress in the reduction of tobacco-associated cancers among white Floridians has lagged behind the progress noted in SEER-9 registries indicating that additional state-level, targeted public health measures focusing on smoking prevention and smoking cessation are needed.