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Statistics at a Glance

At a Glance

Breast, lung and bronchus, prostate, and colorectal cancers account for almost 50% of all new cancer cases in the United States. Lung and bronchus, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths.

New Cancer Cases, 2020
Breast 279,100 (15%)
Lung & Bronchus 228,820 (13%)
Prostate 191,930 (11%)
Colon and rectum 147,950 (8%)
Other 958,790 (53%)
Cancer Deaths, 2020
Lung & Bronchus 135,720 (22%)
Colon and rectum 53,200 (9%)
Pancreas 47,050 (8%)
Breast 42,690 (7%)
Other 327,860 (54%)

How Many People Are Diagnosed with Cancer Each Year?

In 2020, roughly 1.8 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States. An estimated 276,480 women and 2,620 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, which makes it the most common cancer diagnosis. Lung and bronchus cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosis with an estimated 228,820 new cases. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis among men and the third most common diagnosis overall with 191,930 expected cases.

The top 12 most common cancer sites, shown below, will account for more than three quarters of all new cancer cases.

Male
Breast 2,620
Lung & Bronchus 116,300
Prostate 191,930
Colorectal 78,300
Melanoma of the Skin 60,190
Urinary Bladder 62,100
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 42,380
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 45,520
Uterus 0
Leukemia 35,470
Pancreas 30,400
Thyroid 12,720
Female
Breast 276,480
Lung & Bronchus 112,520
Prostate 0
Colorectal 69,650
Melanoma of the Skin 40,160
Urinary Bladder 19,300
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 34,860
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 28,230
Corpus & Uterus, NOS 65,620
Leukemia 25,060
Pancreas 27,200
Thyroid 40,170
`

Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2020, American Cancer Society (ACS), Atlanta, Georgia, 2020.

How Many People Die of Cancer Each Year?

In 2020, an estimated 606,520 people will die of cancer in the United States. Lung and bronchus cancer is responsible for the most deaths with 135,720 people expected to die from this disease. That is nearly three times the 53,200 deaths due to colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer death. Pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest cancer, causing 47,050 deaths.

The eight deadliest cancer sites, shown below, will account for almost two-thirds of all expected cancer deaths.

Male
Lung and bronchus 72,500
Colon and rectum 28,630
Pancreas 24,640
Breast 520
Liver & Intrahepatic Bile Duct 20,020
Prostate 33,330
Leukemia 13,420
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 11,460
Female
Lung and bronchus 63,220
Colon and rectum 24,570
Pancreas 22,410
Breast 42,170
Liver & Intrahepatic Bile Duct 10,140
Prostate 0
Leukemia 9,680
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 8,480
`

Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2020, American Cancer Society (ACS), Atlanta, Georgia, 2020.

New Cases, Deaths, and Survival

How Do Cancer Rates Compare?

For comparison purposes, new cases and deaths are generally expressed as a rate — the number per 100,000 in the total population. The rate of new cases is known as cancer incidence, and the death rate as mortality. Note that total population changes depending on what group you are looking at, so, for instance, the rate of new cases for females is the rate per 100,000 females in the U.S.

The table below gives the predicted number of new cases and deaths in 2020, the age-adjusted rate of new cases and deaths over the most recent five years of data, and the five-year relative survival rate, representing the percent surviving their cancer diagnosis 5-years after diagnosis.

You can sort on any column by clicking the header.

Site Estimated New Cases (2020) Rate of New Cases (2013–2017) Estimated Deaths (2020) Death Rate (2014–2018) Relative Survival (%) (2010–2016)
Anus 8,590 1.9 1,350 0.3 68.7
Bladder 81,400 20.0 17,980 4.3 76.9
Bone and Joint 3,600 1.0 1,720 0.5 66.0
Brain and Other Nervous System 23,890 6.4 18,020 4.4 32.6
Breast 279,100 68.9 42,690 11.1 90.0
Cervix Uteri 13,800 7.4 4,290 2.2 66.1
Colon and Rectum 147,950 38.2 53,200 13.7 64.6
Esophagus 18,440 4.3 16,170 3.9 19.9
Hodgkin Lymphoma 8,480 2.6 970 0.3 87.4
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 73,750 16.3 14,830 3.6 75.2
Larynx 12,370 2.9 3,750 0.9 60.6
Leukemia 60,530 14.1 23,100 6.3 63.7
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 42,810 9.0 30,160 6.6 19.6
Lung and Bronchus 228,820 54.2 135,720 38.5 20.5
Melanoma of the Skin 100,350 22.7 6,850 2.3 92.7
Myeloma 32,270 7.0 12,830 3.2 53.9
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 77,240 19.6 19,940 5.4 72.7
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 53,260 11.4 10,750 2.5 66.2
Ovary 21,750 11.2 13,940 6.7 48.6
Pancreas 57,600 13.1 47,050 11.0 10.0
Prostate 191,930 109.8 33,330 19.0 97.8
Small Intestine 11,110 2.4 1,700 0.4 68.3
Stomach 27,600 7.3 11,010 3.0 32.0
Testis 9,610 5.9 440 0.3 95.0
Thyroid 52,890 15.7 2,180 0.5 98.3
Uterus 65,620 27.8 12,590 4.9 81.2
Vulva 6,120 2.6 1,350 0.6 70.4
Site Estimated New Cases (2020) Rate of New Cases (2013–2017) Estimated Deaths (2020) Death Rate (2014–2018) Relative Survival (%) (2010–2016)
Anus 5,900 2.2 810 0.3 71.5
Bladder 19,300 8.6 4,930 2.1 72.4
Bone and Joint 1,480 0.8 720 0.4 68.7
Brain and Other Nervous System 10,300 5.4 7,830 3.6 34.2
Breast 276,480 128.5 42,170 20.1 90.0
Cervix Uteri 13,800 7.4 4,290 2.2 66.1
Colon and Rectum 69,650 33.6 24,570 11.5 65.1
Esophagus 4,090 1.7 3,070 1.4 22.6
Hodgkin Lymphoma 3,790 2.3 400 0.2 88.6
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 28,230 11.1 4,970 2.3 76.3
Larynx 2,550 1.1 750 0.4 57.6
Leukemia 25,060 11.0 9,680 4.7 62.4
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 12,640 4.8 10,140 4.0 20.5
Lung and Bronchus 112,520 48.6 63,220 32.0 24.2
Melanoma of the Skin 40,160 17.8 2,240 1.4 94.8
Myeloma 14,740 5.7 5,640 2.6 54.1
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 34,860 16.2 8,480 4.1 74.2
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 14,880 6.4 2,990 1.3 67.7
Ovary 21,750 11.2 13,940 6.7 48.6
Pancreas 27,200 11.6 22,410 9.6 10.0
Prostate - - - - -
Small Intestine 5,110 2.1 760 0.3 68.5
Stomach 10,620 5.3 4,360 2.2 36.7
Testis - - - - -
Thyroid 40,170 23.1 1,140 0.5 98.9
Uterus 65,620 27.8 12,590 4.9 81.2
Vulva 6,120 2.6 1,350 0.6 70.4
Site Estimated New Cases (2020) Rate of New Cases (2013–2017) Estimated Deaths (2020) Death Rate (2014–2018) Relative Survival (%) (2010–2016)
Anus 2,690 1.6 540 0.2 63.7
Bladder 62,100 34.9 13,050 7.4 78.3
Bone and Joint 2,120 1.1 1,000 0.6 63.8
Brain and Other Nervous System 13,590 7.5 10,190 5.4 31.3
Breast 2,620 1.2 520 0.3 83.6
Cervix Uteri - - - - -
Colon and Rectum 78,300 43.7 28,630 16.3 64.0
Esophagus 14,350 7.3 13,100 6.9 19.3
Hodgkin Lymphoma 4,690 2.9 570 0.4 86.5
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 45,520 22.4 9,860 5.3 74.5
Larynx 9,820 5.0 3,000 1.7 61.3
Leukemia 35,470 18.1 13,420 8.4 64.6
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 30,170 13.8 20,020 9.7 19.3
Lung and Bronchus 116,300 61.7 72,500 46.9 17.1
Melanoma of the Skin 60,190 29.3 4,610 3.4 91.1
Myeloma 17,530 8.8 7,190 4.1 53.7
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 42,380 23.8 11,460 7.0 71.5
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 38,380 17.2 7,760 3.9 65.6
Ovary - - - - -
Pancreas 30,400 14.9 24,640 12.7 10.0
Prostate 191,930 109.8 33,330 19.0 97.8
Small Intestine 6,000 2.8 940 0.5 68.1
Stomach 16,980 9.9 6,650 4.0 28.9
Testis 9,610 5.9 440 0.3 95.0
Thyroid 12,720 8.1 1,040 0.5 95.9
Uterus - - - - -
Vulva - - - - -

How Do the Most Common Cancers Compare by Race/Ethnicity?

The rate and type of cancer diagnosis varies significantly by race and ethnicity. The graph below shows the age-adjusted rate of new cases, by race and ethnicity, for the four most commonly diagnosed cancers.

Site All Races White Black API AI/AN Hispanic
Female Breast 128.5 131.3 124.8 102.9 79.5 99.1
Colon and rectum 38.2 37.8 43.6 31.8 39.0 33.7
Lung & Bronchus 54.2 56.0 54.8 36.2 38.1 29.0
Prostate 109.8 102.3 175.2 56.7 54.6 92.0

a Asian & Pacific Islander, b American Indian / Alaska Native
Age-adjusted rates of new cases, SEER 21, 2013–2017

Cancer death rates, or mortality rates, also vary significantly by race and ethnicity. The graph below shows the age-adjusted death rate, by race and ethnicity, for the five most commonly diagnosed cancers.

Site All Races White Black API AI/AN Hispanic
Female Breast 20.1 19.6 27.3 11.7 14.8 13.8
Colon and rectum 13.7 13.4 18.0 9.4 15.1 10.9
Lung & Bronchus 38.5 39.3 40.1 21.2 32.1 16.8
Pancreas 11.0 11.0 13.3 7.5 8.7 8.6
Prostate 19.0 17.9 37.4 8.8 18.5 15.6

a Asian & Pacific Islander, b American Indian / Alaska Native
Age-adjusted death rates, U.S., 2014–2018

Trends in Rates

What Are the Recent Trends in Rates of New Cancer Cases?

Between 2013 and 2017, the overall age-adjusted rate of new cancers remained stable among men and remained stable among women. During this period, eight of the 19 most common cancers in men and eleven of the 21 most common cancers in women showed statistically significant decreases in new cases. For both men and women, laryngeal cancer showed the greatest decrease.

Trends In New Cases
Male
Melanoma of the Skin 1.4*
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 1.1*
Prostate 0.9
Pancreas 0.9*
Testis 0.8*
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 0.7*
Myeloma 0.6
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 0.4
Brain and Other Nervous System -0.3*
Thyroid -0.6
All Sites -0.6
Leukemia -1.0
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -1.2
Bladder -1.3*
Esophagus -1.3*
Stomach -1.4*
Colon and Rectum -1.5*
Hodgkin Lymphoma -1.7*
Lung and Bronchus -2.3*
Larynx -3.6*
Female
Melanoma of the Skin 1.6*
Myeloma 1.2*
Uterus 1.2*
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 1.0
Pancreas 0.8*
Kidney and Renal Pelvis 0.7*
Cervix Uteri 0.5
Breast 0.4*
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 0.3*
All Sites 0.0
Leukemia -0.1
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -0.4*
Brain and Other Nervous System -0.4*
Stomach -0.6*
Bladder -1.0*
Lung and Bronchus -1.0*
Colon and Rectum -1.0*
Hodgkin Lymphoma -1.1*
Ovary -1.6*
Esophagus -1.6*
Thyroid -1.9*
Larynx -2.3*

What Are the Recent Trends in Cancer Death Rates?

Between 2014 and 2018, overall age-adjusted death rate decreased on average 2.2 percent per year for men and 1.7 percent for women. During this period, twelve of the 19 most common cancers in men and fifteen of the 21 most common cancers in women showed statistically significant decreases in death rates. Thyroid cancer showed the greatest increase in death rates among men. Uterine cancer showed the greatest increase in death rates among women.

Trends In Death Rates
Male
Thyroid 0.9*
Oral Cavity and Pharynx 0.6*
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 0.4
Brain and Other Nervous System 0.4*
Pancreas 0.3*
Testis 0.0
Prostate -0.4
Myeloma -0.9*
Bladder -1.3*
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -1.9*
Esophagus -1.9*
Colon and Rectum -1.9*
Leukemia -2.1*
All Sites -2.2*
Kidney and Renal Pelvis -2.4*
Stomach -2.5*
Larynx -2.5*
Hodgkin Lymphoma -2.9*
Lung and Bronchus -5.2*
Melanoma of the Skin -5.7*
Female
Uterus 2.0*
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct 1.1*
Brain and Other Nervous System 0.4*
Thyroid 0.2
Pancreas 0.2*
Oral Cavity and Pharynx -0.1
Bladder -0.6*
Cervix Uteri -0.7*
Breast -1.0*
Leukemia -1.4*
Kidney and Renal Pelvis -1.4*
Esophagus -1.6*
All Sites -1.7*
Stomach -1.9*
Myeloma -1.9*
Colon and Rectum -2.0*
Ovary -2.3*
Larynx -2.4*
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -2.7*
Lung and Bronchus -4.3*
Melanoma of the Skin -4.3*
Hodgkin Lymphoma -4.9*

Additional Information

Average annual percent change (AAPC) is the year-to-year change averaged over a period of time, in this case, 5 years. Positive AAPC describes an increasing trend and a negative AAPC a decreasing one.

Cancer in Context

How Does Cancer Compare to Other Causes of Death?

Cancer caused 21.1% of all deaths in the United States in 2018. Deaths due to heart disease and cancer caused nearly half of all deaths in the United States. Cancer is the leading cause of death for those under 65 years of age.

Leading Causes of Death in the U.S., 2018
Heart Disease 655,341
Cancer 599,265
Chronic Lower Respiratory 159,481
Accidents (Unintentional Injury) 167,107
Stroke (Cerebrovascular) 147,809
Alzheimer's 122,018
Diabetes 84,940
Pneumonia & Influenze 59,118
Nephritis & Nephrosis 51,383
Intentional Self-Harm (Suicide) 48,344

What Are the U.S. Death Rates?

In the United States, heart disease death rates have decreased for people of all ages. In 1975, heart disease among those less than 65 caused 26% of deaths, compared to 17% in 2018. In those over 65, heart disease caused 44% of deaths in 1975, compared to 25% in 2018.

Neoplasms have slightly increased for people of all ages. In 1975, neoplasms for those less than 65 accounted for 22% of deaths in the United States, compared to 23% in 2018. In those over 65, neoplasms caused 18% of deaths in 1975, compared to 21% in 2018.

Ages <65
Year Heart Disease Cancer
Rate Per 100,000 % of Total Deaths Rate Per 100,000 % of Total Deaths
1975 98.6 26 84.0 22
1976 95.9 26 84.3 23
1977 92.6 26 84.3 23
1978 90.4 26 84.2 24
1979 88.3 26 83.3 24
1980 86.9 26 83.7 24
1981 84.9 26 82.8 25
1982 82.0 26 83.0 26
1983 80.7 26 82.7 26
1984 78.3 25 83.3 26
1985 76.6 25 83.2 26
1986 74.0 24 82.2 26
1987 71.5 23 81.7 26
1988 69.1 22 81.3 26
1989 65.1 21 80.5 26
1990 62.4 21 80.1 26
1991 61.0 20 79.2 26
1992 59.7 20 77.4 26
1993 59.5 20 76.2 26
1994 57.8 20 75.0 26
1995 56.9 20 73.4 25
1996 55.5 20 71.7 26
1997 53.4 21 69.7 27
1998 51.4 20 67.9 27
1999 49.4 20 66.9 27
2000 47.7 19 65.5 27
2001 46.6 19 64.9 26
2002 46.3 19 63.7 26
2003 45.3 19 62.3 26
2004 43.1 19 60.4 26
2005 42.6 18 59.7 26
2006 41.5 18 58.5 26
2007 40.0 18 56.9 26
2008 39.5 18 55.8 26
2009 38.3 18 55.3 26
2010 37.4 18 54.2 27
2011 37.1 18 53.4 26
2012 36.9 18 53.0 26
2013 36.9 18 52.0 26
2014 37.1 18 51.5 25
2015 37.3 18 50.5 25
2016 37.4 17 49.7 24
2017 37.2 17 48.3 23
2018 37.2 17 47.2 23
Ages 65+
Year Heart Disease Cancer
Rate Per 100,000 % of Total Deaths Rate Per 100,000 % of Total Deaths
1975 2734.9 44 995.2 18
1976 2747.4 44 1018.3 18
1977 2656.3 44 1023.3 19
1978 2643.2 44 1035.4 19
1979 2595.8 45 1042.7 19
1980 2652.4 44 1059.1 19
1981 2568.9 44 1060.7 20
1982 2524.7 44 1074.6 20
1983 2532.4 44 1083.5 20
1984 2468.6 43 1093.0 20
1985 2449.2 42 1097.2 20
1986 2389.6 42 1107.5 21
1987 2333.4 41 1111.8 21
1988 2321.1 40 1120.3 21
1989 2184.9 39 1139.1 22
1990 2102.7 39 1147.4 22
1991 2054.6 38 1154.0 23
1992 1995.9 38 1153.7 23
1993 2027.9 37 1161.8 22
1994 1954.3 37 1157.0 23
1995 1927.5 36 1153.6 22
1996 1878.5 36 1142.2 22
1997 1828.4 35 1128.5 22
1998 1791.7 35 1119.6 22
1999 1766.3 34 1125.9 22
2000 1698.3 33 1119.8 22
2001 1648.2 32 1104.4 22
2002 1611.1 32 1097.2 22
2003 1551.7 31 1079.7 22
2004 1449.7 30 1060.8 22
2005 1415.4 30 1053.2 22
2006 1333.7 29 1036.1 22
2007 1268.7 28 1025.1 22
2008 1240.5 28 1009.5 22
2009 1174.6 27 989.8 22
2010 1143.6 27 984.1 22
2011 1114.1 26 966.2 22
2012 1089.0 26 950.5 22
2013 1086.2 26 932.9 21
2014 1064.2 25 921.3 22
2015 1076.8 25 908.2 21
2016 1051.4 25 891.0 21
2017 1049.6 25 873.9 21
2018 1037.9 25 853.3 21

Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can...
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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 Cancer Statistics

More About Cancer Surveillance

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about cancer surveillance:

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.

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

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 Statistics Factsheets: Common Cancer Sites. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/common.html