Cancer survivorship is a large and growing part of health care in the United States. The CDC DCCPS Statistics and Graphs projects 26.0 million cancer survivors by 2040. In 2022, 70% of survivors had lived at least five years after diagnosis, while 48% had lived at least 10 years and 19% at least 20 years. These figures describe people and time periods differently, so caregivers should read them as population-level context rather than an individual prognosis.
Contents
- The growing U.S. survivor population
- How long survivors have lived since diagnosis
- Age, cancer type, and metastatic disease
- Cancer prevalence and overall survival
- Prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer
- Melanoma and female breast cancer
- What these statistics mean for caregivers
The growing U.S. survivor population
The CDC DCCPS Statistics and Graphs projects that the number of cancer survivors in the United States will reach 26.0 million by 2040. This is a projection, not a count of people already living with cancer on that date. It indicates that survivorship care and caregiver support will remain important as more people live after treatment or with ongoing disease.
The same CDC source projects growth among people who have lived five or more years after diagnosis. From 2022 to 2040, this group is expected to increase about 53%, reaching 19.2 million people. The measure focuses on time since diagnosis, not whether someone has completed all treatment or has no continuing care needs.
For families, a growing survivor population can include people with very different experiences: a person recently completing treatment, someone managing late effects years later, and someone receiving ongoing care for metastatic disease. The figures do not quantify caregiver hours, symptoms, or support needs, but they show the scale of the population to which those needs may apply.
How long survivors have lived since diagnosis
The CDC DCCPS Statistics and Graphs reported the following distribution for U.S. cancer survivors in 2022:
| Time since diagnosis | Share of U.S. cancer survivors in 2022 |
|---|---|
| 5 or more years | 70% |
| 10 or more years | 48% |
| 20 or more years | 19% |
These percentages are cumulative time-since-diagnosis categories. Someone who has lived 20 or more years is also included among those who have lived five or more years. They should not be added together. The pattern nevertheless shows why survivorship is not limited to the months immediately after treatment: many people remain in the survivor population for years or decades.
The 2022 figures also help frame caregiver conversations. A caregiver may be supporting treatment decisions, transportation, symptom management, rehabilitation, surveillance, or long-term changes in daily life. The statistics do not say which services a particular person needs, and they do not predict an individual’s outcome. They provide a time-based view of how many survivors are living beyond diagnosis.
Age, cancer type, and metastatic disease
More than 78% of cancer survivors currently living in the United States are age 60 or older, according to the CDC DCCPS Statistics and Graphs. Age distribution matters for caregiver support because cancer care may overlap with other health concerns, household responsibilities, or changes in independence. The supplied statistic does not break the group into narrower age bands or identify specific support needs.
The CDC source also identifies the following survivor populations in the United States:
| Cancer or disease group | Survivors or people living with disease | Share of cancer survivors where reported |
|---|---|---|
| Female breast cancer | 4.1 million | 22% |
| Prostate cancer | 3.5 million | 20% |
| Melanoma | 1.5 million | 8% |
| Colorectal cancer | 1.4 million | 8% |
There were 623,405 people living with metastatic breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, or bladder cancer or metastatic melanoma in the United States, and that total was expected to reach 693,452 by 2025, according to the CDC DCCPS Statistics and Graphs. The second number is an expectation for 2025, not a reported 2025 count. These metastatic-disease figures combine several cancer types and should not be compared directly with the individual cancer survivor counts above.
Cancer prevalence and overall survival
The SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of Any Site estimated that 18,640,213 people were living with cancer of any site in the United States in 2023. SEER also reports a 70.5% five-year relative survival rate for cancer of any site. A relative survival rate compares survival among people with cancer with survival expected among similar people in the general population; it is not a guarantee for an individual.
The total includes many diseases with different biology, treatment options, stages, and outcomes. That is why an overall rate should not be used to estimate the outlook for a particular cancer. The cancer-specific figures below provide more relevant context for several common survivor populations.
SEER’s 2023 estimates for people living with selected cancers were:
- Prostate cancer: 3,700,086 men living with the disease.
- Lung and bronchus cancer: 661,853 people living with the disease.
- Colorectal cancer: 1,478,528 people living with the disease.
- Melanoma of the skin: 1,573,288 people living with the disease.
- Female breast cancer: 4,238,585 women living with the disease.
These are prevalence estimates for 2023, while some of the CDC figures above refer to survivors in 2022 or projections to 2040 and 2025. Keeping those dates separate is essential when interpreting the numbers.
Prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer
According to the SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Prostate Cancer, approximately 13.2% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime. The five-year relative survival rate is 98.2%. SEER reports that 69% of cases are localized, with a localized five-year relative survival rate of 100.0%; 14% are regional, also with a 100.0% rate; and 9% are distant, with a 40.1% rate. The new-case rate was 123.2 per 100,000 men per year based on cases from 2019–2023.
For lung and bronchus cancer, SEER estimates that 5.2% of men and women will be diagnosed during their lifetime. The five-year relative survival rate is 29.5%. Twenty-four percent of cases are localized, with a 65.5% localized survival rate; 21% are regional, with a 38.2% rate; and 51% are distant, with a 10.5% rate. The new-case rate was 47.2 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2019–2023 cases.
SEER’s Cancer Stat Facts: Colorectal Cancer reports a 3.9% lifetime diagnosis probability for men and women and a 65.4% five-year relative survival rate. Thirty-four percent of cases are localized, with a 91.3% localized rate; 37% are regional, with a 75.2% rate; and 23% are distant, with a 16.9% rate. The new-case rate was 37.6 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2019–2023 cases.
| Cancer | Overall 5-year relative survival | Localized | Regional | Distant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate | 98.2% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 40.1% |
| Lung and bronchus | 29.5% | 65.5% | 38.2% | 10.5% |
| Colorectal | 65.4% | 91.3% | 75.2% | 16.9% |
The stage-specific percentages show why stage is important when interpreting a cancer statistic. They are population measures from SEER, not individualized predictions.
Melanoma and female breast cancer
SEER’s Cancer Stat Facts: Melanoma of the Skin estimates that 2.2% of men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime. The five-year relative survival rate is 94.7%. Localized disease accounts for 77% of cases and has a 100.0% five-year relative survival rate; regional disease accounts for 10% and has a 76.0% rate; distant disease accounts for 5% and has a 34.0% rate. The new-case rate was 22.3 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2019–2023 cases.
For female breast cancer, SEER estimates that 13.0% of women will be diagnosed at some point during their lifetime. The five-year relative survival rate is 91.2%. Sixty-four percent of cases are localized, with a 100.0% localized rate; 27% are regional, with an 87.5% rate; and 6% are distant, with a 33.8% rate. Female breast cancer represents 15.2% of all new cancer cases in the United States.
SEER reports a female breast cancer new-case rate of 132.5 per 100,000 women per year based on 2019–2023 cases. The median age at diagnosis is 64. The death rate is 18.9 per 100,000 women per year based on deaths from 2020–2024, and the median age at death is 71. The case and death measures use different periods, so they should not be treated as a single-year comparison.
What these statistics mean for caregivers
Cancer survivor statistics can help caregivers understand the breadth of survivorship without turning a population estimate into a personal forecast. The CDC DCCPS figures show that most U.S. survivors in 2022 had lived at least five years since diagnosis, and that the long-term survivor population is projected to expand. The age statistic indicates that many survivors are older adults. The cancer-specific SEER figures show that diagnosis, stage, and cancer type are all associated with different population-level survival measures.
For a specific person, the most useful questions are usually more detailed than “What is the survival rate?” They may include the cancer type, stage, treatment status, time since diagnosis, and which outcomes the treating team is discussing. The statistics here do not provide those personal details and do not measure caregiver burden, emotional needs, financial impact, or access to services. They do provide a factual starting point for understanding why caregiver support remains relevant throughout treatment and survivorship.