Survivorship-Related Statistics and Graphs

Estimated United States Cancer Prevalence

Cancer prevalence is the number of people alive today who have been diagnosed with cancer. MORE
(All figures are for the United States)

In This Section:

• Definitions
• Method
• Prevalence by:
  • Estimated Number of Cancer Survivors Over Time
  • Current Age
  • Cancer Site
  • Time Since Diagnosis
• Statistical Resources

Fast Facts

• As of January 2012, it is estimated that there are 13.7 million cancer survivors in the United States. This represents approximately 4% of the population.
  
  
• 59% of survivors are currently 65 years of age and older.
  
  
• Among today’s survivors, the most common cancer sites represented include female breast (22%), prostate (20%), colorectal (9%) and gynecologic (8%).
  
  
• Of adults diagnosed with cancer today, 65% are expected to survive 5 years after diagnosis. Among children diagnosed with cancer, 77% can expect to survive at least 10 years after their diagnosis.
  
  
• Approximately 15% of the 13.7 million estimated cancer survivors were diagnosed 20 or more years ago.
  
  
• View Additional Resources:
  
  SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2009
  
  Cancer Query System: Cancer Prevalence Database
  
  Cancer Prevalence References

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¹Siegel, R., DeSantis, C., Virgo, K., et al. (2012), Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Statistics, 2012. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. doi: 10.3322/caac.21149.