Incidence

Last Updated:

February 2018

Introduction

Cancer incidence is usually measured as the number of new cases each year for every 100,000 people (for sex-specific cancers, people of the same sex serve as the denominator) and age-adjusted to a standard population to allow comparisons over time.

In 2018, nearly half of all new cancer cases are expected to be cancers of the prostate, female breast, lung, and colon/rectum. According to American Cancer Society projections, about 1,735,350 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2018, including 164,690 cases of prostate cancer, 266,120 cases of female breast cancer, 234,030 cases of lung and bronchus cancer, and 140,250 cases of colon and rectum cancer.

Measure

Incidence rate: the observed number of new cancer cases per 100,000 people per year, adjusted for cancer case reporting delays and based on data from approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population.

Delay adjustment: a method of estimating delayed reporting of incident cases and then adjusting rates to account for this delay.

Healthy People 2020 Target

Reduce new cases of invasive colorectal cancer to 39.9 per 100,000 people.
Reduce new cases of invasive uterine cervical cancer to 7.2 per 100,000 females.

Note: There is strong evidence that screening can prevent colorectal and uterine cervical cancers.

Healthy People 2020 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Note: Goals are indicated as blue line on Detailed Trend Graphs.

Data Source

SEER Program, National Cancer Institute, 1975–2014.

Trends and Most Recent Estimates

All Cancer Sites Combined

By Sex

Rates of new cases of all cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Both Sexes	446.9	444.6 - 449.3
	Male	480.2	476.6 - 483.9
	Female	426.5	423.4 - 429.7

By Race/Ethnicity

Rates of new cases of all cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	429.1	427.1 - 431.0
	White	443.3	441.0 - 445.6
	Black	445.8	439.3 - 452.4
	Hispanic	345.7	340.9 - 350.4
	Asian/Pacific Islander	315.1	310.5 - 319.6
	American Indian/Alaska Native	391.8	369.4 - 415.2

Top Cancer Sites

Comparison of Top Cancer Sites

Rates of new cases of the most common cancers, delay-adjusted cancer incidence, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Colon and Rectum	38.9	38.2 - 39.6
	Lung and Bronchus	53.7	52.9 - 54.5
	Female Breast	132.3	130.5 - 134.0
	Prostate	102.9	101.3 - 104.6

Colon and Rectum Cancer by Sex

Rates of new cases of colon and rectum cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Both Sexes	38.9	38.2 - 39.6
	Male	44.1	43.0 - 45.2
	Female	34.6	33.7 - 35.5

Colon and Rectum Cancer by Race/Ethnicity

Rates of new cases of colon and rectum cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	38.1	37.5 - 38.7
	White	37.5	36.8 - 38.2
	Black	43.5	41.5 - 45.6
	Hispanic	34.1	32.6 - 35.6
	Asian/Pacific Islander	35.0	33.5 - 36.5
	American Indian/Alaska Native	61.2	52.3 - 71.1

Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Sex

Rates of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Both Sexes	53.7	52.9 - 54.5
	Male	60.9	59.5 - 62.2
	Female	48.4	47.4 - 49.5

Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Race/Ethnicity

Rates of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	49.4	48.7 - 50.0
	White	50.6	49.8 - 51.4
	Black	57.9	55.5 - 60.3
	Hispanic	27.5	26.0 - 29.0
	Asian/Pacific Islander	36.1	34.5 - 37.6
	American Indian/Alaska Native	38.1	31.1 - 46.0

Female Breast Cancer by Race/Ethnicity

Rates of new cases of female breast cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	127.0	125.6 - 128.5
	White	130.2	128.5 - 132.0
	Black	128.8	124.4 - 133.4
	Hispanic	98.0	94.8 - 101.3
	Asian/Pacific Islander	109.1	105.6 - 112.8
	American Indian/Alaska Native	115.4	99.9 - 132.5

Prostate Cancer by Race/Ethnicity

Rates of new cases of prostate cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	99.6	98.3 - 101.0
	White	96.6	95.0 - 98.1
	Black	156.9	151.0 - 162.9
	Hispanic	83.8	80.1 - 87.5
	Asian/Pacific Islander	56.2	53.4 - 59.2
	American Indian/Alaska Native	64.8	50.2 - 81.8

Additional Cancer Site with Healthy People 2020 Targets

Rates of new cases of invasive uterine cervical cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 1992-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	All Races	6.9	6.6 - 7.3
	White	7.0	6.6 - 7.5
	Black	6.7	5.7 - 7.8
	Hispanic	8.7	7.8 - 9.7
	Asian/Pacific Islander	6.3	5.5 - 7.2
	American Indian/Alaska Native	9.4	5.3 - 15.2

Selected Cancer Sites with Increasing Trends

Increasing Greater than 1% Annually

Rates of selected cancer sites that are increasing by 1% or greater per year^, delay-adjusted cancer incidence, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct	8.9	8.6 - 9.2
	Melanoma of the Skin	25.9	25.3 - 26.5
	Thyroid	15.3	14.8 - 15.7
	Myeloma	7.2	6.9 - 7.5
	Leukemia	15.8	15.3 - 16.3

Increasing Less than 1% Annually

Rates of selected cancer sites that are increasing by less than 1% per year^, delay-adjusted cancer incidence, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Oral Cavity and Pharynx	11.6	11.3 - 12.0
	Testis	6.4	5.9 - 6.8
	Esophageal adenocarcinoma	2.7	2.5 - 2.9

Selected Cancer Sites with Decreasing Trends

Decreasing Greater than 1% Annually

Rates of selected cancer sites that are decreasing by 1% or greater per year^, delay-adjusted incidence^, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Stomach	6.7	6.4 - 7.0
	Larynx	2.8	2.6 - 3.0
	Ovary	11.8	11.3 - 12.3
	Hodgkin Lymphoma	2.8	2.6 - 3.0
	Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma	1.2	1.1 - 1.4

Decreasing Less than 1% Annually

Rates of selected cancer sites that are decreasing by less than 1% per year^, delay-adjusted incidence^, 1975-2014
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Most Recent Estimates (2014)
Overview Graph	Detailed Trend Graphs	Rate per 100,000	95% Confidence Interval
	Urinary Bladder	20.7	20.2 - 21.2
	Brain and Other Nervous System	6.4	6.1 - 6.7

Additional Information on Incidence

For the public

Learn About Cancer. American Cancer Society.
Cancer Incidence Rate. National Cancer Institute.
Common Cancer Types. National Cancer Institute.

For health professionals

Resources for Health Professionals. National Cancer Institute.

Scientific reports

Lung cancer incidence trends among men and women – United States, 2005–2009. Henley SJ, Richareds TB, Underwood JM, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63(01):1–5.
Invasive cancer incidence – United States, 2010. Henley SJ, Singh S, King J, Wilson R, and Ryerson B. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63(12):253–259.
Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
Invasive cancer incidence – United States, 2009. Singh S, Henley SJ, Wilson R, King J, and Eheman C. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;62(07):113–118.

Statistics

Cancer Facts & Figures 2017. American Cancer Society.
WONDER Online Databases – United States Cancer Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State Cancer Profiles. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
United States Cancer Statistics. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
United States Cancer Statistics – Interpreting Incidence Data. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SEER Cancer Statistics Review, National Cancer Institute.
SEER Fast Stats: An interactive tool for access to SEER cancer statistics. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute.

Year Range

1975-2014

Recent Summary Trend Year Range

2010-2014

Summary Tables

Diagnosis

Recent Summary Trend

Falling

Desired Direction