September 2, 2003

By Tristan Blanchard and Peggy Vaughn

Posted in: statistics

Tags: cases, control, cost, data, death, delivery, incidence, mortality, prevalence, rates, report, resources, screening, SEER, state, statistics, surveillance, survey, survival

To find the latest cancer statistics, consult the Cancer Statistics Review (CSR), a database published annually by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The CSR provides data on cancer incidence (newly diagnosed cases), mortality, and survival for more than 20 different cancers and for all cancers combined. Mortality and incidence numbers are shown as rates– the number of new cases or deaths per 100,000 people. When a cancer affects only one gender – for example, prostate cancer – then the number is reported per 100,000 persons of that gender. The CSR gives rates broken down in various ways, such as by age, race, or geographic region.

Access the online CSR at seer.cancer.gov

For a quick and easy search of cancer statistics, go to Surveillance Research: Finding Cancer Statistics. The following definitions of statistical terms and relevant links may also prove useful:

• Mortality — the number of deaths for a specific cancer. Surveillance Research: Cancer Mortality Statistics
• Incidence — the number of newly diagnosed cases for a specific cancer. Surveillance Research: Cancer Incidence
• Prevalence — the number of people in a population with a new or pre-existing diagnosis of cancer (in contrast to incidence rates which only reflect new cases of cancer). Surveillance Research: Cancer Prevalence Statistics
• Relative survival — the percentage of patients diagnosed with a specific cancer who survive for five or more years. Surveillance Research: Cancer Survival Statistics
• Lifetime risk — the probability of developing or dying from cancer over 10, 20 or 30 years, or a lifetime, expressed as a percentage. Surveillance Research: Lifetime Risk of Cancer
• Annual Percent Change (APC) — the percent at which a cancer incidence or death rate has increased or decreased each year, on average, over a period of years. The number is given as a percent, such as a 1.5 percent per year decrease. A negative APC describes a decreasing trend, and a positive APC describes an increasing trend.

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You can also find cancer statistics by:

• State — find cancer trends at the national, state and county level at State Cancer Profiles Home Page
  • Generate customized tables and charts by state (or county in some instances), illustrating regional incidence, mortality, demographics or risk factors for all cancer sites.
• Race/Ethnicity — see a variety of sources at Surveillance Research: Cancer Incidence
  • Locate specific tables and numbers in the CSR based on race/ethnicity, or cancer site.
• Type of Cancer — search the CSR by cancer site using search feature or Fast Stats at SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2000
  • Isolate charts and tables that display specific cancer statistics by age, race/ethnicity and sex.
• Geography — view maps, graphs and charts at Cancer Mortality Atlas
  • Explore interactive tools to compare periods of mortality data over many years.

CSR statistics are used along with statistics from other sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to compile the “Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.” The latest report, covering the years 1975 to 2000, was released on September 2, 2003. More information on the Report can be found in the NCI Newcenter at:

Press Release: http://newscenter.cancer.gov/pressreleases/2003ReportRelease

Q&A: http://newscenter.cancer.gov/pressreleases/2003ReportQandA

Fact Sheet: http://newscenter.cancer.gov/pressreleases/2003ReportFactSheet