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Where can I find Cancer Survival Statistics?


Cancer survival statistics are typically expressed as the proportion of patients alive at some point subsequent to the diagnosis of their cancer. Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. Observed survival is the actual percentage of patients still alive at some specified time after diagnosis of cancer. It considers deaths from all causes, cancer or otherwise. Overview of Population-based Cancer Survival Statistics describes the methodologies involved in calculating cancer survival statistics.

Reports and Monographs

The SEER Cancer Statistics Review (CSR), 1975-2009External Web Site Policy includes tables and figures showing 5-year Survival (PDF)External Web Site Policy and Relative Survival by Year of Diagnosis (PDF)External Web Site Policy which include rates by race, sex, age, and year of diagnosis for the major cancer sites and for all cancers combined.

SEER Survival Monograph: Cancer Survival Among Adults: US SEER ProgramExternal Web Site Policy examines cancer survival by patient and tumor characteristics for over 1.6 million adult cancers diagnosed during the period 1988-2001 within the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

Cancer Epidemiology in Older Adolescents and Young Adults 15 to 29 Years of AgeExternal Web Site Policy presents detailed information about cancer incidence and outcomes in adolescents and young adults. It was developed to gather population-based incidence, mortality, and survival data specific to cancers that occur in this population, along with epidemiological data and risk factors for the development of age-specific cancers

Cancer Survival Among US Whites and MinoritiesExternal Web Site Policy uses SEER data to describe racial and ethnic patterns of cancer-specific survival and relative risks of cancer death for all cancers combined and for cancers of the colon and rectum, lung and bronchus, prostate, and female breast for the six major US racial and ethnic groups.

SEER Statistical PublicationsExternal Web Site Policy provide other survival reports on relevant topics such as socioeconomic variations prostate cancer, racial/ethnic patterns of cancer, and childhood cancers.

Interactive Tools & Software

Methods & Software for Cancer Survival Statistics provides an overview of survival measures and software tools for calculating survival statistics.

Fast StatsExternal Web Site Policy is an interactive tool to access key SEER and US cancer statistics by age, sex, and race.

Cancer Query Systems: SEER Survival StatisticsExternal Web Site Policy is a Web-based program that allows you to select pre-defined statistics by defining various parameters.