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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Estimated New Cases in 2020 57,600

% of All New Cancer Cases 3.2%

Estimated Deaths in 2020 47,050

% of All Cancer Deaths 7.8%

5-Year
Relative Survival

10.0% 2010–2016
Year Rate of New Cases — SEER 9 Rate of New Cases — SEER 13 Death Rate — U.S. 5-Year Relative Survival — SEER 9
Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend Observed Modeled Trend
1975 11.84 12.08 - - 10.66 10.75 3.08% 2.11%
1976 11.99 11.82 - - 10.68 10.74 2.44% 2.18%
1977 11.90 11.56 - - 10.87 10.73 1.95% 2.26%
1978 11.07 11.30 - - 10.79 10.72 2.57% 2.33%
1979 11.52 11.44 - - 10.73 10.71 2.72% 2.41%
1980 11.51 11.59 - - 10.62 10.70 3.35% 2.49%
1981 11.68 11.74 - - 10.70 10.69 2.62% 2.57%
1982 11.72 11.88 - - 10.59 10.68 2.39% 2.65%
1983 12.19 12.03 - - 10.69 10.67 3.22% 2.73%
1984 12.22 12.19 - - 10.80 10.67 2.70% 2.82%
1985 12.10 12.01 - - 10.63 10.66 3.20% 2.91%
1986 11.68 11.84 - - 10.60 10.65 2.80% 3.00%
1987 11.61 11.68 - - 10.59 10.64 3.84% 3.09%
1988 11.66 11.51 - - 10.49 10.63 3.46% 3.18%
1989 11.33 11.35 - - 10.62 10.62 3.39% 3.28%
1990 11.28 11.35 - - 10.69 10.61 3.72% 3.37%
1991 11.39 11.34 - - 10.69 10.60 4.66% 3.47%
1992 11.62 11.33 11.24 11.22 10.70 10.59 4.68% 3.58%
1993 10.97 11.33 11.09 11.21 10.66 10.58 3.62% 3.68%
1994 11.37 11.32 11.27 11.21 10.64 10.57 4.78% 3.79%
1995 11.14 11.32 11.12 11.20 10.45 10.56 3.70% 3.89%
1996 11.30 11.31 11.21 11.20 10.47 10.55 4.25% 4.00%
1997 11.49 11.30 11.39 11.19 10.45 10.54 5.00% 4.12%
1998 11.48 11.30 11.32 11.19 10.52 10.53 3.87% 4.23%
1999 11.10 11.29 10.92 11.18 10.62 10.56 5.17% 4.59%
2000 11.42 11.29 11.20 11.18 10.55 10.59 5.26% 4.96%
2001 11.34 11.46 11.13 11.17 10.57 10.62 5.12% 5.36%
2002 11.77 11.64 11.57 11.38 10.56 10.65 6.29% 5.77%
2003 11.65 11.82 11.34 11.59 10.55 10.68 5.17% 6.21%
2004 12.00 12.01 11.81 11.80 10.70 10.70 5.61% 6.66%
2005 12.10 12.20 12.14 12.02 10.83 10.73 6.49% 7.14%
2006 12.61 12.39 12.18 12.25 10.86 10.76 7.73% 7.64%
2007 12.50 12.58 12.17 12.29 10.84 10.79 7.91% 8.16%
2008 12.76 12.78 12.27 12.33 10.96 10.82 7.91% 8.69%
2009 13.12 12.81 12.58 12.37 10.84 10.85 8.83% 9.25%
2010 12.64 12.84 12.40 12.42 10.98 10.88 8.56% 9.83%
2011 12.49 12.87 12.28 12.46 10.88 10.90 8.34% 10.43%
2012 13.10 12.90 12.65 12.50 11.01 10.93 11.65% 11.05%
2013 12.98 12.94 12.69 12.54 10.82 10.96 - 11.69%
2014 12.96 12.97 12.51 12.59 10.93 10.99 - 12.34%
2015 13.07 13.00 12.64 12.63 11.01 11.02 - 13.02%
2016 13.17 13.03 12.81 12.67 11.06 11.05 - 13.72%
2017 12.91 13.06 12.52 12.72 11.10 11.08 - 14.43%
2018 - - - - 11.04 11.11 - 15.16%

New cases come from SEER 13. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality.
All Races, Both Sexes. Rates are Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.

New cases are also referred to as incident cases in other publications. Rates of new cases are also referred to as incidence rates.

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of pancreatic cancer was 13.1 per 100,000 men and women per year. The death rate was 11.0 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2013–2017 cases and 2014–2018 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 1.6 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2015–2017 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2017, there were an estimated 78,969 people living with pancreatic cancer in the United States.

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An estimated 46,000 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2014.
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Survival Statistics

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

10.0%

5-Year
Relative Survival

10.0%

Based on data from SEER 18 2010–2016. Gray figures represent those who have died from pancreatic cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Additional Information

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier pancreatic cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For pancreatic cancer, 10.8% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized pancreatic cancer is 39.4%.

Percent of Cases & 5-Year Relative Survival by Stage at Diagnosis: Pancreatic Cancer
Stage Percent of Cases 5-Year Relative Survival
Localized
Confined to Primary Site		 11% 39.4%
Regional
Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes		 30% 13.3%
Distant
Cancer Has Metastasized		 52% 2.9%
Unknown
Unstaged		 7% 6.1%

SEER 18 2010–2016, All Races, Both Sexes by SEER Summary Stage 2000

Additional Information

New Cases and Deaths

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, pancreatic cancer is relatively rare.

Rank Common Types of Cancer Estimated New
Cases 2020		 Estimated
Deaths 2020
1. Breast Cancer (Female) 276,480 42,170
2. Lung and Bronchus Cancer 228,820 135,720
3. Prostate Cancer 191,930 33,330
4. Colorectal Cancer 147,950 53,200
5. Melanoma of the Skin 100,350 6,850
6. Bladder Cancer 81,400 17,980
7. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 77,240 19,940
8. Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer 73,750 14,830
9. Uterine Cancer 65,620 12,590
10. Leukemia 60,530 23,100
- - -
11. Pancreatic Cancer 57,600 47,050

Pancreatic cancer represents 3.2% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

3.2%

In 2020, it is estimated that there will be 57,600 new cases of pancreatic cancer and an estimated 47,050 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is more common with increasing age and slightly more common in men than women. The rate of new cases of pancreatic cancer was 13.1 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2013–2017 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Pancreatic Cancer
Males
All Races 14.9
White 15.0
Black 16.9
Asian/Pacific Islander 11.0
American Indian/Alaska Native 12.9
Hispanic 12.5
Non-Hispanic 15.2
Females
All Races 11.6
White 11.6
Black 14.1
Asian/Pacific Islander 9.2
American Indian/Alaska Native 7.8
Hispanic 10.8
Non-Hispanic 11.7

SEER 21 2013–2017, Age-Adjusted

Percent of New Cases by Age Group: Pancreatic Cancer
Age Range Percent of New Cases
<20 0.1%
20–34 0.6%
35–44 1.8%
45–54 8.1%
55–64 21.8%
65–74 30.0%
75–84 24.3%
>84 13.3%

Pancreatic cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65–74.

Median Age
At Diagnosis

70

SEER 21 2013–2017, All Races, Both Sexes

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Because survival is poor, the population distribution of people who die of pancreatic cancer is similar to that of people who are diagnosed with the disease. In part because it is difficult to detect early, the average survival time from pancreatic cancer is low. Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 11.0 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2014–2018 deaths, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity & Sex: Pancreatic Cancer
Males
All Races 12.7
White 12.8
Black 15.0
Asian/Pacific Islander 8.1
American Indian/Alaska Native 10.1
Hispanic 9.5
Non-Hispanic 13.1
Females
All Races 9.6
White 9.5
Black 12.0
Asian/Pacific Islander 7.1
American Indian/Alaska Native 7.5
Hispanic 7.8
Non-Hispanic 9.8

U.S. 2014–2018, Age-Adjusted

Percent of Deaths by Age Group: Pancreatic Cancer
Age Range Percent of Deaths
<20 0.0%
20–34 0.2%
35–44 1.0%
45–54 6.2%
55–64 19.9%
65–74 30.1%
75–84 26.9%
>84 15.7%

The percent of pancreatic cancer deaths is highest among people aged 65–74.

Median Age
At Death

72

U.S. 2014–2018, All Races, Both Sexes

Trends in Rates

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new pancreatic cancer cases have been stable over 2008–2017. Age-adjusted death rates have been rising on average 0.3% each year over 2009–2018. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

New Cases, Deaths and 5-Year Relative Survival
View Data Table

Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can...
  • Create custom graphs and tables
  • Download data and images
  • Share links to results

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

Explore Additional Pancreatic Cancer Statistics

More About This Cancer

Cancer and the Pancreas

Illustration of pancreas.
Figure: Pancreas and Nearby Organs
Click to enlarge.
Figure: Pancreas and Nearby Organs

Figure: Anatomy diagram shows the pancreas, liver, bile duct, stomach, gallbladder, duodenum, spleen, colon, and small intestine.

The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that helps the body digest and use the energy that comes from food. Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas grow out of control and form a growth or tumor. Tumors may be cancerous (malignant) or not cancerous (benign).

Additional Information

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about pancreatic cancer.

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Pancreatic Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/pancreas.html

These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse SEER*Explorer. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.

The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in SEER*Explorer. In some cases, different year spans may be used.

Estimates of new cases and deaths for 2020 are projections made by the American Cancer Society (ACS), based on earlier reported data.

Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.