Data Up to Date as of:
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Introduction
The rate of death from cancer in the United States continues to decline among both men and women, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and for the most common types of cancer, including lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer shows that the death rate from all cancers combined is continuing the decline that began in the early 1990s.
Still, in 2018 cancers of the female breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, and pancreas accounted for over one-half (52 percent) of all cancer deaths in the United States. Lung cancer alone claimed nearly 24 percent of lives lost to cancer.
Measure
The number of cancer deaths per 100,000 people per year, age-adjusted to a U.S. 2000 standard population.
Healthy People 2020 Target
- Reduce the overall cancer death rate to 161.4 cancer deaths per 100,000 people per year.
Top 4 Cancer Sites
- Reduce the colorectal cancer death rate to 14.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year.
- Reduce the lung cancer death rate to 45.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year.
- Reduce the female breast cancer death rate to 20.7 deaths per 100,000 females per year.
- Reduce the prostate cancer death rate to 21.8 deaths per 100,000 males per year.
Additional Cancer Sites with Healthy People 2020 Targets
- Reduce the death rate from cancer of the uterine cervix to 2.2 deaths per 100,000 females per year.
- Reduce the oropharyngeal cancer death rate to 2.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year.
- Reduce the melanoma cancer death rate to 2.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year.
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
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 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![]() |
149.1 | 148.7 - 149.5 |
Male![]() |
176.8 | 176.1 - 177.4 | |
Female![]() |
128.6 | 128.1 - 129.1 |
By Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
149.1 | 148.7 - 149.5 |
White![]() |
150.4 | 149.9 - 150.8 | |
Black![]() |
168.7 | 167.4 - 170.0 | |
Hispanic![]() |
107.4 | 106.3 - 108.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
92.5 | 91.2 - 93.9 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
133.0 | 127.6 - 138.6 |
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![]() |
13.1 | 13.0 - 13.3 |
Lung and Bronchus![]() |
34.8 | 34.6 - 34.9 | |
Female Breast![]() |
19.7 | 19.6 - 19.9 | |
Prostate![]() |
18.8 | 18.6 - 19.0 |
Colon and Rectum Cancer by Sex
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Both Sexes![]() |
13.1 | 13.0 - 13.3 |
Male![]() |
15.8 | 15.6 - 16.0 | |
Female![]() |
10.9 | 10.8 - 11.1 |
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![]() |
13.1 | 13.0 - 13.3 |
White![]() |
13.0 | 12.8 - 13.1 | |
Black![]() |
16.8 | 16.4 - 17.2 | |
Hispanic![]() |
10.8 | 10.4 - 11.1 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
8.8 | 8.4 - 9.2 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
13.9 | 12.2 - 15.8 |
Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Sex
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Both Sexes![]() |
34.8 | 34.6 - 34.9 |
Male![]() |
41.7 | 41.4 - 42.0 | |
Female![]() |
29.3 | 29.1 - 29.5 |
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![]() |
34.8 | 34.6 - 34.9 |
White![]() |
35.7 | 35.5 - 35.9 | |
Black![]() |
35.8 | 35.2 - 36.4 | |
Hispanic![]() |
15.1 | 14.7 - 15.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
18.8 | 18.2 - 19.5 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
29.4 | 26.9 - 32.1 |
Female Breast Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
19.7 | 19.6 - 19.9 |
White![]() |
19.3 | 19.1 - 19.5 | |
Black![]() |
26.7 | 26.1 - 27.4 | |
Hispanic![]() |
13.4 | 12.9 - 13.9 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
12.1 | 11.5 - 12.8 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
14.1 | 11.8 - 16.6 |
Prostate Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
18.8 | 18.6 - 19.0 |
White![]() |
17.6 | 17.4 - 17.8 | |
Black![]() |
36.3 | 35.3 - 37.3 | |
Hispanic![]() |
15.1 | 14.4 - 15.8 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
9.2 | 8.5 - 9.9 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
16.6 | 13.5 - 20.2 |
Additional Cancer Sites with Healthy People 2020 Targets
Comparison of Sites
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Cervix Uteri![]() |
2.2 | 2.1 - 2.2 |
Melanoma of the Skin![]() |
2.1 | 2.0 - 2.1 | |
Oral Cavity and Pharynx![]() |
2.5 | 2.4 - 2.5 |
Cervix Uteri by Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
2.2 | 2.1 - 2.2 |
White![]() |
2.1 | 2.0 - 2.2 | |
Black![]() |
3.2 | 2.9 - 3.4 | |
Hispanic![]() |
2.4 | 2.2 - 2.6 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
1.5 | 1.3 - 1.8 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
2.2 | 1.4 - 3.3 |
Oral Cavity and Pharynx by Sex
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Both Sexes![]() |
2.5 | 2.4 - 2.5 |
Male![]() |
3.9 | 3.8 - 4.0 | |
Female![]() |
1.3 | 1.3 - 1.4 |
Oral Cavity and Pharynx by Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
2.5 | 2.4 - 2.5 |
White![]() |
2.5 | 2.5 - 2.6 | |
Black![]() |
2.5 | 2.4 - 2.7 | |
Hispanic![]() |
1.4 | 1.2 - 1.5 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
1.9 | 1.7 - 2.1 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
1.7 | 1.2 - 2.4 |
Melanoma of the Skin by Sex
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Both Sexes![]() |
2.1 | 2.0 - 2.1 |
Male![]() |
3.0 | 2.9 - 3.1 | |
Female![]() |
1.4 | 1.3 - 1.4 |
Melanoma of the Skin by Race/Ethnicity
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
All Races![]() |
2.1 | 2.0 - 2.1 |
White![]() |
2.4 | 2.4 - 2.5 | |
Black![]() |
0.3 | 0.3 - 0.4 | |
Hispanic![]() |
0.7 | 0.6 - 0.8 | |
Asian/Pacific Islander![]() |
0.3 | 0.2 - 0.4 | |
American Indian/Alaska Native![]() |
0.3 | 0.1 - 0.7 |
Selected Cancer Sites with Increasing Trends
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Brain and Other Nervous System![]() |
4.4 | 4.3 - 4.5 |
Corpus Uteri and NOS![]() |
5.0 | 4.9 - 5.1 | |
Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct![]() |
6.7 | 6.6 - 6.8 | |
Thyroid![]() |
0.5 | 0.5 - 0.5 |
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 | ||
![]() ![]() |
Hodgkin Lymphoma![]() |
0.3 | 0.3 - 0.3 |
Larynx![]() |
0.9 | 0.9 - 0.9 | |
Leukemia![]() |
6.0 | 5.9 - 6.1 | |
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma![]() |
5.1 | 5.0 - 5.2 | |
Ovary![]() |
6.3 | 6.2 - 6.4 |
Decreasing Less than 2% Annually
Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2018) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rate per 100,000 | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
![]() ![]() |
Esophagus![]() |
3.8 | 3.7 - 3.8 |
Kidney and Renal Pelvis![]() |
3.5 | 3.5 - 3.6 | |
Myeloma![]() |
3.1 | 3.0 - 3.1 | |
Stomach![]() |
2.8 | 2.8 - 2.9 |
Additional Information on Mortality
For the public
- Advanced Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- End-of-Life Care for People Who Have Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Hospice Care. National Cancer Institute.
- Advance Directives. American Cancer Society.
- Hospice Care. American Cancer Society.
- Nearing the End of Life. American Cancer Society.
For health professionals
- Planning the Transition to End-of-Life Care in Advanced Care (PDQ®)-Health Professional Version. National Cancer Institute.
- Resources for Health Professionals. National Cancer Institute.
Scientific reports
- Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
Statistics
- SEER Cancer Statistics Review. National Cancer Institute.
- SEER*Explorer: An interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. National Cancer Institute.
- State Cancer Profiles. National Cancer Institute.
- Cancer Facts and Figures. American Cancer Society.
- Colorectal Cancer Mortality Projection. Cancer Intervention Surveillance Network.
- National Vital Statistics Reports—Deaths: Final Data for 2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- National Vital Statistics System—Mortality Data. . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.