Staten Island has some of the highest cancer rates in New York, leaving thousands of families facing not only treatment and uncertainty, but the same difficult question: Why does cancer hit the borough so hard? Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate of any cancer on Staten Island, at 143.9 cases per 100,000 people annually. That is 11.5 percent higher than the New York City rate and 4.8 percent higher than the statewide rate. Other cancers are also elevated. Lung and bronchus cancer occurs at a rate 47.7 percent higher than the citywide rate, while colorectal cancer is 19.6 percent higher. Researchers and residents continue examining possible environmental factors and other explanations. On October 25, Staten Islanders will gather at Midland Beach for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, bringing together survivors, caregivers, families and supporters while raising money for breast cancer research.
