Islami F, Miller KD, Siegel RL, et al. - Researchers estimated lost earnings attributable to deaths from cancer overall and for the major cancer types in the United States nationally and by the state via conducting a population-based study. They found that, in peopled aged 16-84 years in the United States in 2015, roughly 8.74 million person-years of life were lost to cancer death, equating to approximately lost earnings of $94.4 billion. For specific cancer sites, lost earnings were highest for lung ($21.3 billion), colorectal ($9.4 billion), female breast ($6.2 billion), and pancreatic ($6.1 billion) cancers. Furthermore, age-standardized lost earning rates per 100,000 were lowest in the West and highest in the South, ranging from $19.6 million in Utah to $35.3 million in Kentucky. About 2.4 million person-years of life lost (PYLL) and $27.7 billion in lost earnings would have been avoided in 2015 if all states had the same age-specific PYLL or lost earning rates as Utah. Overall, the investigators noted large state variations in the economic burden of cancer, suggesting the potential for significant financial benefit via delivery of effective cancer prevention, screening, and treatment to minimize premature cancer mortality in all states.