Source: State Cancer Registries
Impact of Cancer
- In the U.S., men have a slightly less than 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer and women have a little more than a 1 in 3 lifetime risk.1
- An estimated 1,479,350 Americans will be newly diagnosed with and 562,340 will die from cancer (all sites) in 2009.1
- About 77% of all cancers are diagnosed in people age 55 and older.1
- For 2009, the leading sites for estimated new cancer cases in males were the prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum; For females, they were the breast, lung and bronchus and colon and rectum.1
- The NIH estimated the overall cost of cancer in the U.S. in 2008 was $228.1 billion.1
1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009. |
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for almost 1 in every 4 deaths.1 NIH-sponsored research and improved cancer control has helped to make significant gains in the fight against cancer. A study looking at the status of cancer in the U.S. between 1975-2005 found a significant decrease in incidence and death rates from all cancers combined in men and women overall.2 But, the risk for being diagnosed with cancer increases with age1 and a recent study projected overall cancer incidence will increase by about 45% from 2010-2030, accounted for largely by cancer diagnoses in older Americans and minorities.3 A robust research effort is needed to better understand the development, treatment and prevention of cancer, and its interaction with the aging process. Such research could yield enormous health and economic benefits and allow older Americans to live healthier lives for longer.
1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.
2 Jemal A, et al. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2005, Featuring Trends in Lung Cancer, Tobacco Use and Tobacco Control. Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2008) 100(23):1672-1694.
3 Smith BD, et al. Future of Cancer Incidence in the United States: Burdens Upon an Aging, Changing Nation. Journal of Clinical Oncology (2009) 27(17): 2758-2765.  Download PDF of Factsheet
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