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Cancer statistics 2024

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S.
By | Updated on Oct. 25, 2024 Medically reviewed by Josephine Bawab, Pharm.D.
Clipboard holding sheet with charts: Cancer statistics
In this article:

Cancer can develop in any area of the body, such as the breasts, colon, lungs, or bones. It can affect people of any age, but some may be more likely to develop cancer, such as those with a close relative who has or had cancer.
Various diagnostic tests help determine if someone has cancer and if it is at an advanced stage.
The survival statistics vary, depending on the cancer type, age, and ethnicity, among other criteria. Treatment costs can be expensive if patients opt for out-of-pocket payments. 

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease that causes the body’s cells to grow uncontrollably. It can affect the breasts, prostate, or lungs. It can also spread to other parts of the body. The damage or impairment can be fatal. 

There are two types of tumors. Dr. Kevin Huffman, a board-certified bariatric physician, and CEO and founder of Bariatric Food Source, explains that “malignant tumors are the cancerous tumors that are able to spread and invade tissues and form new tumors. These tumors can also grow back sometimes when removed. On the other hand, benign tumors do not invade or spread into other tissues. However, they can be quite large, with some causing serious symptoms such as those that form in the brain.” 

Several symptoms may occur, but they depend on the specific cancer that someone has. Examples of symptoms include:

  • Nipple discharge
  • Itchy skin
  • Bloody stools
  • Swallowing difficulties
  • Jaundice

Different tests may take place to help doctors come up with a diagnosis. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) mentions some of them:

  • Ultrasound exam: An imaging exam that uses high-energy waves to produce images of areas inside your body. This exam is administered if people have a breast lump or thyroid problems. 
  • X-ray: An imaging exam that uses low doses of radiation so that the healthcare professional can look at your bones, joints, or other cancer sites. 
  • Bone scan: A scan that checks if the bones are damaged and if the patient has bone cancer. It also allows doctors to examine if other cancers have spread to the bones.

How common is cancer?

  • There were nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2020 around the world. (WHO, 2022)
  • In 2020, there were around 18.1 million new cancer cases worldwide. (WCRF, 2022)
  • In 2020, more than 1.6 million cancer cases were reported in the U.S. (CDC, 2023)
  • In 2020, there were more than 602,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. (CDC, 2023)
  • Childhood cancer can also occur, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is estimated that around 400,000 children get cancer every year around the world. (WHO, 2022)

Cancer statistics by age

  • In people ages 55 years or older, cancer incidence is higher in men than in women. (CDC, 2022)
  • Increasing age is a risk factor for cancer, with 58% of cancer diagnoses occurring in adults aged 65 years or older. (CDC, 2022)
  • In children who are younger than 15 years of age, the cancer incidence rate is higher in boys than in girls. (CDC, 2022)
  • In adolescents and adults between the ages of 15 and 54 years, women have an increased risk of getting cancer. (CDC, 2022)
  • Leukemia is mostly diagnosed in children, but it also affects adolescents. (NCI, 2021) 
  • More than 4,000 children are affected by brain and spinal cord tumors every year. (ACS, 2023)

Cancer statistics by sex

  • In 2020, lung cancer was the most common cancer among men around the world. (WCRF, 2022)
  • In 2020, there were around 9.3 million cancer cases among men and 8.8 million cancer cases among women. (WCRF, 2022)
  • Research shows that cancer incidence and survival rates are lower in males than in females. (AACR, 2020)
  • In 2020, breast cancer was the most common cancer in women around the world. (WCRF, 2022)
  • Nearly 40% of men and women will have cancer sometime in their life. (NCI, 2020)
  • In 2020, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers accounted for 43% of all cancer cases in men in the U.S. (NCI, 2020)
  • In 2020, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers accounted for 50% of cancers in women.
    (NCI, 2020)

Cancer statistics by race and ethnicity

  • White women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than Black, Hispanic, and Asian women. (Breastcancer.org, 2023)
  • The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that the breast cancer mortality rate is higher in Black women than in White women. (ACS, 2022)
  • The highest incidence rate of new cancer diagnoses from 2016 to 2022 was seen in non-Hispanic Black men. (NCI, 2023)
  • Between 1999 and 2019, cancer accounted for more than one million deaths among Black men and women ages 20 years and older. (NIH, 2022)
  • Between 1999 and 2019, there was an annual decrease of 2% in the number of cancer death rates among Black men and women. (NIH, 2022)
  • Cervical cancer is more likely to be fatal in Black women than women from other ethnic groups in the U.S. (CDC, 2023)

Cancer statistics by type

Skin cancer

  • An estimated 9,500 people in the U.S. receive a skin cancer diagnosis daily. (AAD, 2022)
  • It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer sometime in their life. (AAD, 2022)
  • More than 150,000 people in the world had a new case of skin melanoma in 2020. Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that attacks melanocytes, which are the cells that produce the skin’s pigment. (WCRF, 2022)
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that around 57,000 people in the world died from skin melanoma in 2020. (IARC, 2020)
  • Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer that mostly affects areas that are exposed to the sun. Around 3.6 million people in the U.S. receive a basal cell carcinoma diagnosis every year. (Skin Cancer Foundation)

Colon cancer

  • Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the U.S. This cancer develops in the colon or rectum, so doctors sometimes also refer to them as colon or rectal cancers. (ACS, 2023)
  • It’s estimated that around 107,000 cases of colon cancer and 46,000 cases of cancer in the rectum will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2023 (ACS, 2023)
  • The number of colon and rectal cancer incidence rates has decreased since the mid-1980s. This could be because many people are attending cancer screening exams and controlling or avoiding any risk factors. (ACS, 2023)
  • In the U.S., it’s estimated that 52,550 people will die from colorectal cancer in 2023. (ACS, 2023)

Breast cancer 

  • Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. It is expected to see more than 300,000 new breast cancer cases in the U.S. in 2023. (NCI, 2023)
  • Breast cancer affects both men and women, but it is more common among the female population. An estimated 264,000 women and 2,400 men in the U.S. get breast cancer every year. (CDC, 2022)
  • Breast cancer accounts for 42,000 annual deaths in women and 500 annual deaths in men in the U.S. (CDC, 2022)
  • Breast cancer mortality rates are higher among Black women than White women. (CDC, 2022)
  • In 2023, it’s estimated that more than 297,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the U.S. (ACS, 2023)
  • It’s estimated that around 43,700 women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer in 2023. (ACS, 2023)

Prostate cancer 

  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S. It’s estimated that 1 in 8 men will get this type of cancer sometime in their life. (ACS, 2023). 
  • Between 2013 and 2019, prostate cancer had a 5-year survival rate of 97.1%. (NCI, 2023) 
  • It’s estimated that 288,300 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. (NCI, 2023) 
  • It is estimated that prostate cancer will cause around 34,700 deaths in the U.S.in 2023 (NCI, 2023)
  • In 2020, more than 3 million men had prostate cancer in the U.S.(NCI, 2023) 

Lung cancer 

  • The average age for when people get a diagnosis of lung cancer is 70 years. (Contemporary Oncology, 2021)
  • There was a 6.5% decrease in the rate of lung cancer mortality between 2005 and 2016. (ALA, 2022)
  • Lung cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 18.6%, which is lower than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. (ALA, 2022)
  • There is a higher survival rate of 56% if the tumor is still in the lungs and has not spread to other organs. (ALA, 2022)
  • The cancer survival rate reduces to 5% when the tumor in the lung spreads to other organs. (ALA, 2022)
  • The ACS predicts that there will be more than 127,000 deaths from lung cancer in the U.S. in 2023. (ACS, 2023)

The cost of cancer

  • Every year, chronic condition treatment costs amount to $4.1 trillion in the United States. (CDC, 2023)
  • The healthcare sector sees a rise in cancer treatment costs every year. The costs are expected to increase to $246 billion by the year 2030. (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention, 2020) 
  • In 2018, people with cancer in the U.S. had to pay $5.6 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for their surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. (American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, 2020) 
  • In 2020, the NCI estimates that the costs for colorectal cancer treatments were $23.7 billion for medical services and $600 million for prescription medications. (NCI, 2022)
  • Cancer treatment is not always covered by insurance. Out-of-pocket costs include outpatient visits, medical services, emergency treatments, and hospital inpatient stays. In 2019, patients paid $16.22 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for cancer care. (CDC, 2021)

Causes of cancer

The WHO lists some factors that can increase people’s risk of developing cancer:

  • Lack of physical activity
  • Obesity
  • Air pollution
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Eating unhealthy foods, such as processed and cured meat

Chronic infections, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B and C viruses, can also increase cancer risk. This is more common in those who come from low- and middle-income backgrounds, as they cannot afford to get the right treatment. 

Dr. Huffman says, “Anyone can get cancer, but the condition is usually more prevalent in people with a family history of cancer. Also, older people are likely to get cancer because the body’s ability to identify and get rid of cells with damaged DNA before they become cancerous often diminishes as we grow older. “

Cancer prevention

Cancer prevention is possible for 30–50% of cancers. Lifestyle changes that may help to prevent cancer include:

  • Quitting smoking
  • Eating fruits and vegetables
  • Exercising regularly
  • Avoiding sun exposure and applying sunscreen to reduce skin cancer risk
  • Getting vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B
  • Attending cancer screening exams
  • Limiting time outdoors when pollution levels are high

Various organizations help and support people with cancer. They work with doctors and nurses to develop early detection tools, cancer control measures, and treatment for the condition. 

These are some examples of cancer support organizations:

Hospitals and organizations may also use cancer registries, which are systems that:

  • Record cancer information
  • Plan cancer control efforts
  • Track cancer trends and the number of new cancer cases
  • Evaluate the populations most diagnosed with cancer

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) programs can also be helpful for researchers. These programs rely on cancer statistics to see how the disease affects different age groups, ethnic groups, and sex groups.

Cancer treatment

When someone has cancer, their oncologist discusses the various treatment options suitable for the symptoms and severity. The healthcare provider should also explain the risks and any side effects associated with treatment. 

These are the most common types of cancer treatment: 

  • Chemotherapy: Many people get treated with chemotherapy drugs that kill or shrink cancer cells. Doctors may sometimes recommend undergoing this type of treatment before surgery or radiation therapy. Chemo can cause side effects, such as nausea, hair loss, and mouth sores. 
  • Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-energy rays to get rid of cancer cells, and it can take a few weeks until the cancer dies completely. Radiation can also affect healthy cells, so side effects may include fatigue, hair loss, and memory problems. 
  • Immunotherapy: This treatment stimulates the immune system’s natural defense to recognize and kill cancer cells. It can cause skin reactions, fatigue, and body aches. 
  • Hormone therapy: This is used to stop or slow the growth of cancers that use hormones to grow, such as breast and prostate cancers. This treatment slows down the growth of these cancers, and doctors may sometimes combine it with chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy. Side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and hot flashes, can occur. 

References