Statistics and Graphs

  1. Office of Cancer Survivorship
  2. Statistics and Graphs

The statistics and graphs below shed light on the number of cancer survivors in the United States, as well as more information about the cancer survivor population. Note that individuals are considered cancer survivors from the time of a cancer diagnosis through the rest of their life.

To learn more about key survivorship or statistical terms, please visit the OCS Definitions page, and for additional cancer-related statistics, please visit NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

Statistics
Graphs

Statistics

As of January 2022, it is estimated that there are 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States. This represents approximately 5.4% of the population.

Silhouette of a group of people with text saying “16.9 million cancer survivors.”

The number of cancer survivors is projected to increase by 24.4%, to 22.5 million, by 2032.

Graph showing a projected 31 percent increase in cancer survivors to 22.5 million over the 10 year period from 2020 to 2030.

The number of cancer survivors is projected to grow to 26.0 million by 2040.

Graph showing a projected increase of 11 million cancer survivors to 26 million between 2016 and 2040.

Over the next decade, the number of people who have lived 5 or more years after their cancer diagnosis is projected to increase approximately 30%, to 16.3 million.

Fireworks with text “15.1 million cancer survivors have lived 5+ years since diagnosis”
Man in activewear running up steps with text “69 percent of survivors have lived 5+ years since diagnosis”
A man and woman walking a dog on an outdoor path with text “47 percent of survivors have lived 10+ years since diagnosis”
Two women in activewear in a one-armed embrace smiling at each other with text “18 percent of survivors have lived 20+ years since diagnosis”
 

In 2022, 69% of survivors have lived 5+ years since their diagnosis; 47% of survivors have lived 10+ years since their diagnosis; and 18% of survivors have lived 20+ years since their diagnosis.

More Details About Cancer Survivors

67% of survivors are currently age 65 or older.

It is estimated that by 2040, 74% of cancer survivors in the United States will be age 65 or older.

A group of five older adults in activewear smiling and laughing with text “67 percent of survivors are 65 or older.”

There are 623,405 people living with metastatic breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, or bladder cancer or metastatic melanoma in the United States, and that number is expected to increase to 693,452 by the year 2025.

A couple of people walking in the woods with the text: 623,405 people living with metastatic cancers ”

Among today's survivors, the most common cancer types represented include female breast (22%, 4.1 million), prostate (20%, 3.5 million), colorectal (8%, 1.4 million), melanoma (8%, 1.5 million), and gynecologic (8%, 1.4 million).*

Five women of diverse ages wearing pink and standing in a line with text “Female breast cancer 23 percent or 4.1 million.”
Four men sitting at a table with a laptop and coffee with text “Prostate cancer 22 percent or 3.5 million.”
A man and woman walking a dog on a grassy hill while holding hands with text “Colorectal cancer 9 percent or 1.4 million.”
 

* Note: People may be represented more than once in these percentages if they have been diagnosed with more than one cancer. For example, a man who has survived both colorectal cancer and prostate cancer will be included as both a colorectal cancer survivor and as a prostate cancer survivor. Therefore, the sum of the percentages may be more than 100%.

1American Cancer Society. Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2022-2024. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2022.

2Gallicchio L, Devasia TP, Tonorezos E, Mollica MA, Mariotto A. Estimation of the Number of Individuals Living With Metastatic Cancer in the United States, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2022;, djac158, https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djac158

Graphs

This page provides several cancer survivorship-related graphs. For additional statistics, including customized graphs or tables, please go to NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

Prevalence and Projections 1975-2040

Area chart of cancer prevalence and projections in the United States population from 1975 to 2040. Chart displays an increase from 3.7 million in 1975 to 18.1 million in 2022, and a projected increase to 26.0 million in 2040.
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area chart of an estimated and projected number of cancer survivors in the US from 1975-2040
 

Download "1975-2040" Graph (as PNG)

Current Age

Pie chart of cancer survivors in the United States by current age as of January 1st 2022. Four sections show 119,047 survivors aged 0 to 19 years, 636,971 survivors aged 20 to 39 years, 5,265,894 survivors aged 40 to 64 years, and 12,038,100 survivors aged 65 plus years.
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A pie chart of estimated number of cancer survivors in the US, by Current Age where the majority are 65+
 

Download "Current Age" Graph (as PNG)

Current Age (More Detail)

Pie chart of cancer survivors in the United States by current age as of January 1st 2022. Eight sections show .7 percent of survivors aged 0 to 19 years, 1.1 percent survivors aged 20 to 29 years, 2.5 percent survivors aged 30 to 39 years, 5.2 percent survivors aged 40 to 49 years, 12.7 percent aged 50 to 59 years, 25.3 percent aged 60 to 69 years, 29.1 percent survivors aged 70 to 79 years, and 23.5 percent aged 80 years and older.
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A pie chart of estimated number of cancer survivors in the US, by current age in detail
 

Download "Current Age (More Detail)" Graph (as PNG)

Years Since Diagnosis

Bar chart of cancer survivors in the United States by years since diagnosis as of January 1st 2022. Chart displays a steady decrease in number of survivors for males, females, and both males and females from less than five years since diagnosis to between 25 and less than 30 years since diagnosis with a slight increase for females and both males and females at 30 plus years of diagnosis.
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A group bar chart of estimated number of cancer survivors in the US, by years since diagnosis.
 

Download "Years Since Diagnosis" Graph (as PNG)

Cancer Type

Bar chart of cancer survivors in the United States by cancer type as of January 1st 2022. Chart shows over 3.5 million for both breast and prostate, between 1.5 and 2 million for hematologic, between 1 and 1.5 million for colorectal, gynecologic, bladder and kidney, melanoma, and thyroid, less than .5 million for oral cavity and testis, and between .5 and 1 million for lung.
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A bar chart of estimated number of cancer survivors in the US, by cancer type on body.
 

Download "Cancer Type (All)" Graph (as PNG)

Cancer Type (Male)

Bar chart of male cancer survivors in the United States by cancer type as of January 1st 2022. Chart shows over 3.5 million for prostate, between .5 and 1 million for colorectal, hematologic, bladder and kidney, and melanoma, and less than .5 million for oral cavity, lung, thyroid, and testis.
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A bar chart of an estimated Number of male cancer survivors in the US, by cancer type on body.
 

Download "Cancer Type (Male)" Graph (as PNG)

Cancer Type (Female)

Bar chart of female cancer survivors in the United States by cancer type as of January 1st 2022. Chart shows over 4 million for breast, between 1 and 2 million for gynecologic, and between 0 and 1 million for colorectal, hematologic, melanoma, and thyroid, bladder and kidney, oral cavity and lung.
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A bar chart of estimated number of female cancer survivors in the US, by cancer type.
 

Download "Cancer Type (Female)" Graph (as PNG)

Prior Diagnosis of Cancer by Age

Bar chart of cancer survivors in the United States living with a prior cancer diagnosis as of January 1st 2022. Chart shows less than 5 percent under 50 years for males and females, between 5 and 10 percent for males and females aged 50 and 64 years, roughly 15 percent for females and between 15 and 20 percent for males aged 66 to 74 years, roughly 20 percent for females and between 25 and 30 percent for males aged 75 to 84 years, and between 30 to 35 percent for females and between 40 to 45 percent for males aged 85 years and up.
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A group bar chart of US Population living with a Prior diagnosis of cancer by age range.
 

Download "Cancer by Age" Graph (as PNG)

Rates of New Cancer Cases by Race/Ethnicity

Bar chart of new cancer cases by race and ethnicity measured by rates per 100,000. The chart shows 445.5 for all races, 354.3 for Hispanic (any race), 420.4 for Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native, 308.3 for Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, 459 for Non-Hispanic Black, and 476.3 for Non-Hispanic White.
 

Download "New Cancer Cases by Race/Ethnicity" Graph (as PNG)

Rates of New Cancer Cases by Sex and Race/Ethnicity

 

Bar chart of diagnosis of cancer by sex and race and ethnicity per 100,000 population. For males, the chart displays 484.7 for all races, 374.6 for Hispanic, 435.6 for Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native, 308.3 for Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, 535.1 for Non-Hispanic Black, and 514.8 for Non-Hispanic White. For females, the chart displays 419.9 for all races, 346.5 for Hispanic, 415.2 for Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Native, 312.5 for Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, 408.7 for Non-Hispanic Black, and 450.8 for Non-Hispanic White.
 

Download "New Cancer Cases by Sex and Race/Ethnicity" Graph (as PNG)

Individuals Living with Metastatic Cancer

Estimated numbers of individuals living with metastatic cancer in the U.S. on January 1, 2018, by cancer type, and percentage by cancer type who were diagnosed with metastasis de novo versus with early-stage disease that progressed to metastatic disease. Numbers above each bar represent total estimated metastatic prevalence for each cancer type. De novo percentages are: Bladder 71.8% of 15,767, Breast 61.4% of 140,230, Colon and Rectum 43.9% of 133,234, Lung and Bronchus 30.3% of 174.090, Melanoma 69.8% of 38,716, and Prostate 55.0% of 120,368.
 

Download "Estimated Numbers of Individuals Living with Metastatic Cancer in the U.S." Graph (as PNG)

Last Updated
November 17, 2022