Following heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. In 2008, more than 1.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed and about 566,000 cancer deaths will occur in the United States. The overall survival rate for all types of cancer is 66%. Today there are approximately 10.8 million cancer survivors in the United States.

The most common types of cancer are basal and squamous cell skin cancers and lung, prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers.

The five most common causes of death from cancer in the United States are lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. In fact, lung cancer remains the leading cause of death from cancer and will account for about 162,000 deaths in 2008. Review Cancer.Net’s Cancer Type sections for more information and statistics about specific types of cancer.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2008.

Understanding Statistics

Cancer statistics, such as these, can sometimes be confusing to read. What do these statistics mean, how are they calculated, and how can they help a patient? Cancer statistics are numbers expressed in terms such as percentages, rates, or cases. They are based on information collected over time from large numbers of people. Researchers analyze this information to draw conclusions about patterns of cancer in groups of people. Doctors use the information to help individuals understand their chance of developing certain types of cancer, and, if diagnosed, their prognosis (chance of recovery).

To learn more about different types of statistics and how they are used, read the following articles:

Understanding Statistics on Incidence, Prevalence, and Mortality: Estimating Risk and Recommending Screening: Learn what the statistical terms incidence and prevalence mean, how they differ, and how they can be used to evaluate a person’s risk of cancer and recommend screening.

Understanding Survival Statistics: Guiding Prognosis and Evaluating Treatment: Learn about how survival statistics are calculated and how they can be used to understand a patient’s specific prognosis.

How To Read a Medical Abstract: Statistics are often included in abstracts, which are summaries of research study results. Learn about how to understand the information in an abstract.

Additional Resources

National Cancer Institute: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data

American Cancer Society Statistics

Centers for Disease Control: National Program of Cancer Registries

The North American Association of Central Cancer Registries

The World Health Organization

International Agency for Research on Cancer: CANCERMondial