Cancer (cont.)
Cancer statistics
A new report from the nation's leading cancer organizations
shows cancer death rates decreased on average 2.1 percent per year from 2002
through 2004, nearly twice the annual decrease of 1.1 percent per year from 1993
through 2002.
Estimated new cases and deaths from cancer in the United States in 2008:
- New cases: 1,437,180 (does not include nonmelanoma skin cancers)
- Deaths: 565,650
What are the most common types of cancer?
The list of common cancer types includes cancers that are diagnosed with the
greatest frequency in the United States. Cancer incidence statistics from
the American Cancer Society and other resources were used to create the
list. To qualify as a common cancer, the estimated annual incidence for 2008
had to be 35,000 cases or more.
The most common type of cancer on the list is nonmelanoma skin cancer, with
more than 1,000,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2008. Nonmelanoma
skin cancers represent about half of all cancers diagnosed in this country.
The cancer on the list with the lowest incidence is thyroid cancer. The
estimated number of new cases of thyroid cancer for 2008 is 37,340.
Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal
cancers," these two cancer types were combined for the list. For 2008, the
estimated number of new cases of colon cancer is 108,070, and the estimated
number of new cases of rectal cancer is 40,740.
Kidney cancers can be divided into two major groups, renal parenchyma cancers
and renal pelvis cancers. Approximately 85 percent of kidney cancers develop in
the renal parenchyma, and nearly all of these cancers are renal cell cancers.
The estimated number of new cases of renal cell cancer for 2008 is 46,232.
Leukemia as a cancer type includes acute lymphoblastic (or lymphoid)
leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic
myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia, and other forms of leukemia. It is estimated
that more than 44,270 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United
States in 2008, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia being the most common type
(approximately 15,110 new cases).
The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for
each common cancer type:
| Cancer Type |
Estimated New Cases |
Estimated Deaths |
| Bladder |
68,810 |
14,100 |
| Breast (Female -
Male) |
182,460 -- 1,990 |
40,480 - 450 |
| Colon and Rectal
(combined) |
148,810 |
49,960 |
| Endometrial |
40,100 |
7,470 |
| Kidney (Renal Cell) |
46,232 |
11,059 |
| Leukemia (all) |
44,270 |
21,710 |
| Lung (including bronchus) |
215,020 |
161,840 |
| Melanoma |
62,480 |
8,420 |
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma |
66,120 |
19,160 |
| Pancreatic |
37,680 |
34,290 |
| Prostate |
186,320 |
28,660 |
| Skin (nonmelanoma) |
>1,000,000 |
<1,000 |
| Thyroid |
37,340 |
1,590 |
Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute
Last Editorial Review: 7/23/2008
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