Cancer Trends Progress Report

Five-year relative cancer survival: The proportion of patients surviving cancer 5 years after diagnosis calculated in the absence of other causes of death. The relative survival ratio is defined as the observed survival in the patient group divided by the expected survival of a comparable group from the general population. This ratio represents survivors that are expected if cancer were the only cause of death in the cohort.

Rates of obesity among cancer survivors are based on the self-reporting of individuals with a cancer history, who are interviewed as part of the annual population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). These weight groups are defined by a measurement called body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters, squared. For most adults, experts consider a BMI of 30 and over to be obese.

Rates of smoking among cancer survivors are based on the self-reporting of individuals with a cancer history who are interviewed as part of the annual population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Participants who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and who, at the time of the interview, reported smoking every day or some days were considered to be currently smoking.

The percentage of cancer survivors reporting no physical activity are based on the self-reporting of individuals with a cancer history who are interviewed as part of the annual population-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Participants were asked how often they perform light, moderate, or vigorous activity for at least 10 minutes.