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In 2018, the rate of new cases of all cancers combined was 445.3 per 100,000 people per year.
Background
Cancer incidence is typically 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 2021, nearly half of all new cancer cases are expected to be cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, and colon and rectum. According to American Cancer Society projections, about 1,898,160 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2021, including 248,530 cases of prostate cancer, 284,200 cases of breast cancer, 235,760 cases of lung and bronchus cancer, and 149,500 cases of colorectal cancer.
Measure
Incidence rate: the observed number of new cancer cases per 100,000 people per year, adjusted for age and 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 2030 Target
There are no Healthy People 2030 targets for cancer incidence.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Data Source
SEER Program, National Cancer Institute, 1975–2018.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
All Cancer Sites Combined
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
445.3 | 443.1 - 447.5 |
Male
|
479.5 | 476.1 - 483.0 | |
Female
|
423.1 | 420.1 - 426.2 | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
450.5 | 449.3 - 451.6 |
White
|
462.9 | 461.6 - 464.2 | |
Black
|
446.4 | 442.9 - 449.9 | |
Hispanic
|
357.7 | 354.9 - 360.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
318.0 | 314.9 - 321.2 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native
|
340.2 | 326.2 - 354.7 | |
Top 4 Cancer Sites
Comparison of Top Cancer Sites
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Colon and Rectum
|
35.5 | 34.9 - 36.2 |
Lung and Bronchus
|
47.9 | 47.2 - 48.7 | |
Female Breast
|
134.5 | 132.8 - 136.2 | |
Prostate
|
119.3 | 117.6 - 120.9 | |
Colon and Rectum Cancer by Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
35.5 | 34.9 - 36.2 |
Male
|
40.0 | 39.0 - 41.0 | |
Female
|
31.6 | 30.8 - 32.5 | |
Colon and Rectum Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
36.8 | 36.4 - 37.1 |
White
|
36.5 | 36.1 - 36.9 | |
Black
|
41.2 | 40.1 - 42.3 | |
Hispanic
|
33.3 | 32.4 - 34.1 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
30.1 | 29.1 - 31.0 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native
|
38.7 | 34.0 - 43.7 | |
Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
47.9 | 47.2 - 48.7 |
Male
|
52.4 | 51.2 - 53.5 | |
Female
|
44.7 | 43.7 - 45.7 | |
Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
50.8 | 50.4 - 51.2 |
White
|
52.5 | 52.1 - 52.9 | |
Black
|
51.6 | 50.4 - 52.8 | |
Hispanic
|
27.6 | 26.8 - 28.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
35.5 | 34.5 - 36.5 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native
|
39.2 | 34.3 - 44.5 | |
Female Breast Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
131.3 | 130.4 - 132.2 |
White
|
133.5 | 132.5 - 134.5 | |
Black
|
124.9 | 122.5 - 127.4 | |
Hispanic
|
102.6 | 100.6 - 104.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
114.2 | 111.7 - 116.7 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native
|
89.9 | 80.6 - 100.0 | |
Prostate Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
119.3 | 118.4 - 120.1 |
White
|
114.1 | 113.1 - 115.0 | |
Black
|
189.0 | 185.6 - 192.5 | |
Hispanic
|
92.9 | 90.7 - 95.2 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander
|
64.8 | 62.7 - 67.0 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native
|
54.8 | 46.5 - 64.1 | |
Selected Cancer Sites with Increasing Trends
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Oral Cavity and Pharynx
|
12.3 | 11.9 - 12.7 |
Pancreas
|
13.6 | 13.3 - 14.0 | |
Melanoma of the Skin
|
25.8 | 25.2 - 26.3 | |
Testis
|
6.0 | 5.6 - 6.4 | |
Leukemia
|
14.4 | 14.0 - 14.8 | |
Esophageal adenocarcinoma
|
2.8 | 2.6 - 3.0 | |
Selected Cancer Sites with Decreasing Trends
Decreasing Greater than 2% Annually
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Larynx
|
2.3 | 2.1 - 2.5 |
Ovary
|
9.5 | 9.0 - 10.0 | |
Urinary Bladder
|
18.6 | 18.1 - 19.0 | |
Thyroid
|
13.6 | 13.2 - 14.0 | |
Decreasing Less than 2% Annually
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Stomach
|
6.3 | 6.0 - 6.5 |
Brain and Other Nervous System
|
6.5 | 6.2 - 6.8 | |
Hodgkin Lymphoma
|
2.6 | 2.4 - 2.7 | |
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
|
19.4 | 19.0 - 19.9 | |
Additional Information on Incidence
- Cancer Incidence Rates. National Cancer Institute.
- Common Cancer Types. National Cancer Institute.
- Learn About Cancer. American Cancer Society.
- Resources for Health Professionals. National Cancer Institute.
- Cancer Facts and Figures. American Cancer Society.
- Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- 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 and Survival—United States, 2013. Henley SJ, Singh SD, King JK et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017:66(3):69-75.
- Cancer Statistics, 2018. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal, A. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2018;61(01):7-30.
- SEER Cancer Statistics Review, National Cancer Institute.
- State Cancer Profiles. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations. 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*Explorer: An interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. National Cancer Institute.
- WONDER Online Databases – United States Cancer Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Year Range
1975-2018
Recent Summary Trend Year Range
2014-2018
Summary Tables
Diagnosis
Recent Summary Trend
Falling
Desired Direction
Falling