Show-Me State Times

There were 143 deaths from cancer reported in Missouri in the week ending Feb. 12, making up 17.3 percent of total deaths by all causes in Missouri, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Feb. 12, there were 825 deaths in the state. 18.2 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 17.3 percent were from cancer and 43.4 percent were from COVID-19.

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	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	186	22.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	172	20.8
Heart disease	150	18.2
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	143	17.3
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	51	6.2
Alzheimer's disease	42	5.1
Cerebrovascular diseases	36	4.4
Influenza and pneumonia	12	1.5
Diabetes mellitus	12	1.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	11	1.3