Cancer is the second leading cause of death behind heart disease in the United States, taking half a million lives each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One in four Americans who dies each year dies as a result of cancer, and in 2011 alone, the average death toll was 1,580 people per day. For the most part, the types of cancer that contribute to this mortality rate remain the same throughout the country; within 45 states in the U.S., lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, while the other five found digestive system-related cancers (colon, pancreas, stomach) to be their top killer.

The mortality rates, however, seem to differ from state to state, as some states are affected by unhealthy behaviors, a product of high poverty levels, while others are not. Research compiled by 24/7 Wall St. found poverty rates contributed to cancer-related mortality significantly, as the poverty rate in the 10 states with highest cancer mortality was higher than the national average at 15.8 percent.

Click "View Slideshow" to see which states have the highest cancer-related mortality rates.

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These five states have the highest cancer-related mortality rates in the nation, and quite a few things in common. Denis Defreyne, CC BY 2.0.