http://tn.gov/environment/wpc/tmdl/approvedtmdl/wolfpcb.pdf

Go ahead, Jim46, and live in denial. That is how ignorant people wind up with cancer in the first place, by being in constant denial of the environmental causes. Since you are so certain these treatment centers were placed in Memphis for no other reason, hey, how about going fishing in the Wolf River! I hear the crappie are really biting. Ever heard of Chlordane? No, I suppose not. Go have yourself a heaping helping of fish from the Wolf or Mississippi River. Perhaps then you can experience cancer first hand and become a patient at one of these fine cancer hospitals.

I think it interesting that JeffersonTao seems to know more than the doctors? Politics aside we might consider the fact that Memphis has some of the best hospitals for cancer in the country. That being said people come here for treatment and since cancer is for the most part a mystery the mortality rate is high. Hence a higher death rate.

bible, cancer.. same difference

Not surprising, considering we are per capita the biggest "consumers" of Food Stamps, Pork rinds & Grape soda.....sigh......

Oh, and here is proof for what I said: http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/cgi-bin/deathrates/deathrates.pl?00&001&00&0&001&1&1&1

It is no coincidence that the states with the highest death rates from cancer are in the most industrialized areas and are major producers of coal, oil or gas. Sorry, Missy, all cities are not considered the "capital of cancer." Perhaps, in all your worldly travels, you had visited cities out west, you would have noticed the absence of such declarations. Why am I not surprised at misinformation coming from Missy22?

It couldn't possibly be from the fact that Velsicol Chemical company decided that Memphis rivers, creeks and aquifers made great places to dump liquid waste containing Chlordane and other banned pesticides. Down with the EPA for putting a stop to that, right Republicans?

What is measured are mortality rates for medicare patients. Hospital quality ratings in the Memphis area are historically low in some specialities, meaning the mortality rates reported by Medicare stats for certain diseases are high. Many poor have limited access to quality healthcare. Even with Medicare, one may find physicians decline to accept Medicare or if they do, care may be marginalized. Medicare patients are often 'warehoused' when it comes to healthcare. Some hospitals shuffle a high number of Medicare patients, padding bills, until benefits are exhausted and the patient legally dumped to the home, rehab or hospice, with poor or inadequate followup, just to die. Memphis residents, predominantly African American with high poverty and unemployment, typically receive limited care while health continues to deteriorate. Hospital ratings, infection and mortality stats have a two year delay reporting mode in Tennessee. Time critical stats are lost to individuals selecting a hospital in which to make a qualified selection for a procedure. Despite Healthgrades or Leapfrog reports, mortality rates are high, often misrepresented. Underlying failure in the healthcare system is radically concealed from the public, even infection epidemics. Has healthcare become a commodity for the provider rather than patients?

I've seen this same report in other cities. They're all the Capital of Cancer.