Interpretation of Rate/Trend Comparison by Cancer Data
Death Rate/Trend Comparison by Cancer, 2016-2020
Maine Counties versus United States
All Cancer Sites
All Races, Both Sexes
Sorted by priority index
Explanation of Column HeadersState/County - The site and sex combination for this comparison.
Priority Index 1 - The priority index is based upon the direction of the trend and the rate comparison. An index of 1 is the highest priority - that trend is rising and the rate is already higher. An index of 9 is the lowest priority - the trend is falling and the rate is already lower.
Recent Trends - This is an interpretation of the AAPC:
- Rising when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is above 0.
- Stable when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change includes 0.
- Falling when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is below 0.
AAPC (95% Confidence Interval) - The Average Annual Percent Change is the change in rate over time. These AAPCs are based upon APCs that were calculated by Joinpoint Regression Program
Other Notes
- Larger confidence intervals indicate less stability of the data. This is often due to low counts that are not quite low enough to be suppressed.
- Data is currently being suppressed if there are fewer than 16 counts for the time period.
Line by Line Interpretation of the Report
United States
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -2.0 with a 95% confidence interval from -2.2 to -1.8.
- Rate : The death rate is 149.4 with a 95% confidence interval from 149.3 to 149.6 and 599,666 average annual deaths.
Maine
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.3 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.4 to -1.2.
- Rate : The death rate is 164.8 with a 95% confidence interval from 162.2 to 167.4 and 3,357 average annual deaths.
Androscoggin County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.1 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.3 to -0.8.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 175.0 with a 95% confidence interval from 165.3 to 185.2 and 254 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.2
Franklin County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.1 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.6 to -0.7.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 170.2 with a 95% confidence interval from 153.1 to 189.0 and 79 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Kennebec County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.2 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.4 to -0.9.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 168.8 with a 95% confidence interval from 160.3 to 177.8 and 309 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Knox County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -0.8 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.3 to -0.4.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 168.5 with a 95% confidence interval from 154.7 to 183.4 and 120 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Oxford County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.2 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.4 to -0.9.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 170.8 with a 95% confidence interval from 158.5 to 183.8 and 157 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Penobscot County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.2 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.4 to -1.0.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 175.1 with a 95% confidence interval from 167.0 to 183.5 and 372 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.2
Piscataquis County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -0.9 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.3 to -0.4.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 200.0 with a 95% confidence interval from 177.7 to 225.1 and 63 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.3
Somerset County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.0 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.4 to -0.7.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 193.0 with a 95% confidence interval from 178.9 to 208.1 and 149 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.3
Washington County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 5.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -0.8 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.2 to -0.4.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is higher compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 192.5 with a 95% confidence interval from 175.5 to 211.1 and 103 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.3
Aroostook County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.0 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.3 to -0.7.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 162.1 with a 95% confidence interval from 151.5 to 173.4 and 190 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Cumberland County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -2.0 with a 95% confidence interval from -2.4 to -1.6.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 148.5 with a 95% confidence interval from 143.1 to 154.0 and 608 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.0
Hancock County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.9 with a 95% confidence interval from -2.2 to -1.6.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 157.9 with a 95% confidence interval from 146.2 to 170.6 and 148 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Lincoln County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.5 with a 95% confidence interval from -2.0 to -1.1.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 162.0 with a 95% confidence interval from 148.2 to 177.2 and 110 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Sagadahoc County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.7 with a 95% confidence interval from -2.2 to -1.2.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 150.0 with a 95% confidence interval from 135.9 to 165.4 and 87 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.0
Waldo County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.3 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.7 to -0.9.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 164.3 with a 95% confidence interval from 149.6 to 180.2 and 101 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
York County
- Priority Index(1) : The priority index is 8.
- Recent Trend(2) : The trend is falling because the trend is -1.3 with a 95% confidence interval from -1.5 to -1.1.
- County Death Rate Compared to US Rate : This death rate is similar compared to the US rate
- Rate : The death rate is 161.7 with a 95% confidence interval from 155.3 to 168.4 and 506 average annual deaths.
- Rate Ratio(3) County to US : The rate ratio is 1.1
Notes:
Created by statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov on 04/28/2024 9:11 pm.
Rising when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is above 0.
Stable when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change includes 0.
Falling when 95% confidence interval of average annual percent change is below 0.
Rate Comparison
Above when 95% confident the rate is above and Rate Ratio3 > 1.10
Similar when unable to conclude above or below with confidence.
Below when 95% confident the rate is below and Rate Ratio3 < 0.90
1 Priority indices were created by ordering from rates that are rising and above the comparison rate to rates that are falling and below the comparison rate.
2 Recent trend in death rates is usually an Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) based on the APCs calculated by Joinpoint Version 4.8.0.0. Due to data availability issues, the time period and/or calculation method used in the calculation of the trends may differ for selected geographic areas.
3 Rate ratio is the county rate divided by the US rate. Previous versions of this table used one-year rates for states and five-year rates for counties. As of June 2018, only five-year rates are used.
Source: Death data provided by the National Vital Statistics System public use data file. Death rates calculated by the National Cancer Institute using SEER*Stat. Death rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (19 age groups: <1, 1-4, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85+). The Healthy People 2020 goals are based on rates adjusted using different methods but the differences should be minimal. Population counts for denominators are based on Census populations as modified by NCI. The US Population Data File is used with mortality data.
Note: When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate. Suppression is used to avoid misinterpretation when rates are unstable.
State Cancer Registries may provide more current or more local data. Data presented on the State Cancer Profiles Web Site may differ from statistics reported by the State Cancer Registries (for more information).
Interpret Rankings provides insight into interpreting cancer statistics. When the population size for a denominator is small, the rates may be unstable. A rate is unstable when a small change in the numerator (e.g., only one or two additional cases) has a dramatic effect on the calculated rate.
Data for United States does not include Puerto Rico.