Big Sky Times

There were 41 deaths from cancer reported in Montana in the week ending Dec. 3, making up 17.9% of total deaths by all causes in Montana, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 3, there were 229 deaths in the state. 21.8% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.9% were from cancer and less than 4.4% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.3% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	50	21.8
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	41	17.9
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	13	5.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 4.4
Diabetes mellitus	< 10	< 4.4
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 4.4
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 4.4
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 4.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	19	8.3