5,300 Kansans die each year from cancer.
22%of all deaths in Kansas are from cancer, the second leading cause of death after heart disease.
$1.6 billion is the estimated annual cost $4.4 million per day of cancerrelated medical expenses and lost productivity in Kansas.
400Kansas women die of breast cancer each year, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in Kansas. From 2000 to 2002, 24 percent of Kansas women who were 40 and older had not had a mammogram.
587Kansans died due to colorectal cancer in 2002.
1,479 Kansans died of lung cancer in 2002, making it the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in Kansas.
12,000new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in Kansas.
312 Kansas men died of prostate cancer in 2002.
2,300Kansas jobs are created by the addition of $100 million in research funding.
10.1 million cancer survivors are alive today in the United States.
65%of people diagnosed with cancer are expected to live at least five years after diagnosis.
$4.79 billion was invested in cancer research by the National Cancer Institute in fiscal year 2006.
Following the lead of many institutions in the region, the University of Kansas Medical Center, and The University of Kansas Hospital became tobacco-free on September 1, 2006. The program, called the Tobacco-Free Initiative, is backed by both the Missouri and Kansas hospital associations, and extends to patients, employees, students, faculty, vendors, contractors, and visitors.
Tobacco is the cause of death for 3,800 Kansans every year and is the root cause of many illnesses and lost productivity, according to the Kansas Hospital Association. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks for patients, employees, and visitors. In Kansas, tobacco use accounts for more than $720 million in medical expenditures each year. The second edition of the Tobacco Atlas, released in July, highlighted that the number of smokers and the number of tobacco-related deaths are still rising.
If adult cigarette consumption is reduced by just 50 percent worldwide, we could avert more than 300 million needless deaths within the next 50 years, according to the Tobacco Atlas.
The enhanced restrictions are the result of discussions between representatives of the hospital community and the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment. Hospitals across Kansas have pledged to be tobacco-free by January 1, and many hospitals have already begun implementing tobacco-free policies.
In a letter sent to employees, Barbara Atkinson, MD, executive vice chancellor of the Medical Center, explained the reason for the change.
One of the many key reasons for our decision is our role as health care leaders, providers, and educators in the community and
throughout the state. Studies, many conducted by our KU faculty, have proved time and again that tobacco is a leading cause of death from many diseases, both for those who use tobacco products and those who are exposed to them on a second-hand basis.
Employees, staff, and students were offered free cessation programs and resources to help them cope, cut back, or quit. Nearly 380 took advantage of this assistance. +
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The University of Kansas Medical Center