American Cancer Society statistics describe both the scale of cancer in the United States and the support available to people living with it. The figures below include 2024 projections, 2022 spending data, January 1, 2022 prevalence data, and survival estimates for people diagnosed during 2013–2019. Dates and geography matter: most figures are for the United States, and projected counts are estimates rather than final tallies.
Contents
- At-a-glance cancer statistics
- Cancer cases and deaths by sex
- Selected cancer types
- Lifetime risk and age
- Five-year relative survival
- ACS research, support, and advocacy
At-a-glance cancer statistics
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 projected a little over 2 million new cancer cases in the United States during 2024. The specific projection was 2,001,140 new cases. The same report projected 611,720 cancer deaths in the country during 2024, or about 1,680 deaths per day.
More than 18 million Americans with a history of invasive cancer were alive on January 1, 2022. This is a prevalence measure: it counts people living at that date who had a history of invasive cancer, rather than counting only new diagnoses in a single year.
The ACS Fact Sheet says the overall U.S. cancer death rate decreased 33% since 1991 and estimates that nearly 4.1 million cancer deaths were avoided during that period. The same source says healthy choices could help eliminate approximately 50% of cancer deaths. That statement is presented as an ACS estimate about the potential effect of healthy choices, not as a count of deaths already prevented.
| Measure | United States figure | Period or date |
|---|---|---|
| New cancer cases | 2,001,140 | Projected for 2024 |
| Cancer deaths | 611,720 | Projected for 2024 |
| Estimated deaths per day | About 1,680 | 2024 |
| People living with a history of invasive cancer | More than 18 million | January 1, 2022 |
| Overall cancer death-rate change | 33% decrease | Since 1991 |
Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 and the ACS Fact Sheet.
Cancer cases and deaths by sex
For 2024, ACS projected 1,029,080 new cancer cases among men in the United States and 972,060 among women. It projected 322,800 cancer deaths among men and 288,920 among women. These figures are national projections for 2024, not measurements of an individual person’s risk.
The projected totals show why cancer affects caregivers across many kinds of households. A diagnosis may create needs involving transportation, appointments, treatment decisions, symptom monitoring, work, finances, and emotional support. The totals do not measure caregiver burden directly, but they show the large population for whom practical support may be relevant.
The report also identified a broad difference in lifetime invasive-cancer risk. In the United States, a male had a 41.6% lifetime risk of developing invasive cancer overall, while a female had a 39.6% lifetime risk. These are population-level estimates and should not be used as a personal forecast.
The projected sex-specific totals are:
- Men: 1,029,080 new cases and 322,800 deaths in 2024.
- Women: 972,060 new cases and 288,920 deaths in 2024.
- Overall: 2,001,140 new cases and 611,720 deaths in 2024.
Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
Selected cancer types
ACS projected 310,720 new female breast cancer cases and 2,790 new male breast cancer cases in 2024. It also estimated 56,500 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, breast cancer in women. DCIS is listed separately in the supplied ACS figures, so it should not be silently combined with the invasive breast cancer count.
For colorectal cancer, ACS estimated 106,590 new colon cancer cases and 46,220 new rectal cancer cases in 2024. The combined estimate for colon and rectum cancer deaths was 53,010. Keeping the case counts separate while identifying the death figure as combined avoids treating different measures as though they used the same grouping.
ACS estimated 41,630 new liver cancer cases and 30,200 liver cancer deaths in 2024. It estimated 299,010 prostate cancer cases in men. For lung and bronchus cancer, the estimated 2024 death counts were 116,310 among men and 118,270 among women.
Other 2024 estimates included 59,170 melanoma cases in men, 34,530 pancreatic cancer deaths in men, and 31,910 pancreatic cancer deaths in women. These figures describe selected cancer types and outcomes; they are not a complete ranking of every cancer diagnosis or death in the country.
Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
Lifetime risk and age
ACS reported age-specific risks of invasive cancer for men and women in the United States. For men, the reported risk was 3.5% between ages 0 and 49, 11.8% between ages 50 and 64, 31.9% between ages 65 and 84, and 19.1% at age 85 and older. For women, the reported risk was 5.9% between ages 0 and 49, 10.8% between ages 50 and 64, 24.3% between ages 65 and 84, and 14.4% at age 85 and older.
| Age range | Male risk of invasive cancer | Female risk of invasive cancer |
|---|---|---|
| 0–49 | 3.5% | 5.9% |
| 50–64 | 11.8% | 10.8% |
| 65–84 | 31.9% | 24.3% |
| 85+ | 19.1% | 14.4% |
These percentages are age-band estimates from ACS, not the probability that a specific person will receive a diagnosis. They also should not be added together: each figure describes a reported risk for a particular age range, while the overall lifetime estimates are separate population measures.
For caregivers, age-specific statistics can help explain why cancer support needs may arise at different points in a family’s life. They do not identify who will become a caregiver or predict how long support will be needed.
Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
Five-year relative survival
The ACS report gave all-cancer five-year relative survival of 69% among White people and 65% among Black people for diagnoses during 2013–2019. These figures describe relative survival across all cancers and racial groups in that reporting period; they are not a prediction for an individual patient.
For selected cancers diagnosed during 2013–2019, five-year relative survival for all stages was 91% for female breast cancer, 64% for colon and rectum cancer, 25% for lung and bronchus cancer, 13% for pancreatic cancer, 97% for prostate cancer, 99% for thyroid cancer, 78% for urinary bladder cancer, 67% for uterine cervix cancer, and 81% for uterine corpus cancer.
| Cancer or group | Five-year relative survival, all stages | Diagnosis period |
|---|---|---|
| Female breast | 91% | 2013–2019 |
| Colon and rectum | 64% | 2013–2019 |
| Lung and bronchus | 25% | 2013–2019 |
| Pancreatic | 13% | 2013–2019 |
| Prostate | 97% | 2013–2019 |
| Thyroid | 99% | 2013–2019 |
| Urinary bladder | 78% | 2013–2019 |
| Uterine cervix | 67% | 2013–2019 |
| Uterine corpus | 81% | 2013–2019 |
Relative survival compares people with cancer with people in the general population. The all-stages figures combine stages and therefore do not replace a patient’s diagnosis-specific discussion with a care team. They can, however, provide context when families are trying to understand population-level outcomes.
Source: Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
ACS research, support, and advocacy
The ACS Fact Sheet says the organization serves more than 21,000 communities in the United States and beyond. It also says ACS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and offers a free 24/7 helpline for cancer information and support. For patients and caregivers, the helpline is a clearly identified support resource available around the clock.
In 2022, ACS reported that 81% of its resources went to patient support, discovery, and advocacy. Its reported 2022 investments included $354 million in patient support, $166 million in discovery, and $46 million in advocacy. The organization also reported $26 million in management and general expenses and $107 million in fundraising expenses.
ACS says it has invested more than $5 billion in research since 1946, describing an effort spanning more than 75 years since that year. The organization also says its annual Cancer Facts & Figures report has been published since 1951. These historical statements are presented as claims from the ACS Fact Sheet and Cancer Facts and Statistics materials; they are not treated here as independently verified legacy facts.
| Reported 2022 category | Amount or share |
|---|---|
| Patient support | $354 million |
| Discovery | $166 million |
| Advocacy | $46 million |
| Management and general expenses | $26 million |
| Fundraising expenses | $107 million |
| Patient support, discovery, and advocacy combined share | 81% of resources |
Source: ACS Fact Sheet and Cancer Facts and Statistics.
For a caregiver-support audience, these figures connect national cancer patterns with practical points of contact. The 2024 case and death numbers are projections, the survival figures describe diagnoses from 2013–2019, and the support and spending figures describe ACS statements about 2022 or its longer history. Reading each statistic with its source, geography, and measurement period keeps those different kinds of information distinct.