Cancer accounts for 14% of all deaths in the United States. Direct medical costs for the disease were an estimated $156.6 billion in 2022. This analysis examines the latest national data on survival, economic burden, and care delivery.
Key Takeaways
- 20.9% 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined is reported for adults diagnosed 2013–2019
- Median 5-year survival for localized stage colorectal cancer is 90% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
- Median 5-year survival for regional stage prostate cancer is 97% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
- 30% of men and women were projected to die from cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) at some point in their lifetime (estimated by SEER Cancer Statistics Review)
- 14% of all deaths in the United States were attributed to cancer (2019)
- 83% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage, and early detection can improve outcomes (SEER stat fact for lung late-stage proportion)
- $0.8 billion federal government spending on colorectal cancer screening promotion programs in 2023 (CDC grant total)
- Cancer remains the most expensive disease category in the United States with an estimated $156.6B direct medical costs in 2022 (ACS estimate)
- Over $140 billion in direct medical costs for cancer were estimated for 2020 in the United States
- In 2021, total spending on prescription oncology drugs in the United States was $56.1 billion
- $6.7 billion in spending on surgical oncology procedures was estimated for 2022 (ACS cost model)
- 1.2 million new cancer diagnoses were estimated for 2024 among men in the United States (ACS projections)
- 21.1% of adults with cancer reported being uninsured at some point in 2018 (NHIS-based estimate)
- In 2023, there were 664,000 oncology workers in the US (BLS/industry estimates)
- The US had 23,000 hematologists/oncologists active in 2022 (AAMC)
Despite improved survival for some cancers, lung and metastatic disease remain major challenges while cancer costs and deaths stay high.
Related reading
01 · Category
Survival & Staging8 stats
01
20.9% 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined is reported for adults diagnosed 2013–2019
02
Median 5-year survival for localized stage colorectal cancer is 90% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
03
Median 5-year survival for regional stage prostate cancer is 97% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
04
Median 5-year survival for distant stage breast cancer is 31% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
05
Median 5-year survival for localized stage melanoma of the skin is 99% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
06
Estimated 5-year relative survival rate for leukemia is 65% for adults diagnosed 2013–2019
07
Median 5-year survival for distant stage kidney and renal pelvis cancer is 14% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
08
Median 5-year survival for distant stage pancreatic cancer is 3% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
Interpretation
Survival & Staging Interpretation
Survival rates vary widely by both cancer type and stage, ranging from 90% median 5-year survival for localized colorectal cancer and 99% for localized melanoma to just 31% for distant-stage breast cancer, showing why Survival and Staging matter so much for expectations about outcomes.
02 · Category
Incidence & Mortality2 stats
01
30% of men and women were projected to die from cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) at some point in their lifetime (estimated by SEER Cancer Statistics Review)
02
14% of all deaths in the United States were attributed to cancer (2019)
Interpretation
Incidence & Mortality Interpretation
From the Incidence and Mortality perspective, cancer is projected to claim 30% of men and women over their lifetimes and accounts for 14% of all U.S. deaths in 2019, underscoring how consistently it drives both lifetime risk and population-level mortality.
03 · Category
Screening & Prevention2 stats
01
83% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage, and early detection can improve outcomes (SEER stat fact for lung late-stage proportion)
02
$0.8 billion federal government spending on colorectal cancer screening promotion programs in 2023 (CDC grant total)
Interpretation
Screening & Prevention Interpretation
In the Screening and Prevention category, the fact that 83% of lung cancer is diagnosed at a late stage shows why early detection matters, while the $0.8 billion spent in 2023 on colorectal cancer screening promotion reflects a growing push to prevent cancers by catching them earlier.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Burden6 stats
01
Cancer remains the most expensive disease category in the United States with an estimated $156.6B direct medical costs in 2022 (ACS estimate)
02
Over $140 billion in direct medical costs for cancer were estimated for 2020 in the United States
03
In 2021, total spending on prescription oncology drugs in the United States was $56.1 billion
04
$5.5 billion in new cancer drug approvals spending impact was estimated for 2022 (ICES/peer-reviewed summary)
05
$10.5 billion in lost earnings due to cancer were estimated in the United States for 2018
06
$11.6 billion in government spending on cancer was estimated in 2022 (NCI budget summary)
Interpretation
Economic Burden Interpretation
The economic burden of cancer remains exceptionally high, with direct medical costs reaching about $156.6 billion in 2022 and prescription oncology drugs adding another $56.1 billion in 2021, showing that both treatment spending and overall healthcare costs continue to drive the United States’ financial strain.
05 · Category
Treatment & Care Delivery4 stats
01
$6.7 billion in spending on surgical oncology procedures was estimated for 2022 (ACS cost model)
02
1.2 million new cancer diagnoses were estimated for 2024 among men in the United States (ACS projections)
03
21.1% of adults with cancer reported being uninsured at some point in 2018 (NHIS-based estimate)
04
22% of cancer patients did not receive recommended guideline-concordant care in 2018 (National Cancer Data)
Interpretation
Treatment & Care Delivery Interpretation
In the Treatment and Care Delivery landscape in the United States, major care gaps persist despite high activity and spending, with 22% of cancer patients not receiving recommended guideline-concordant care in 2018 and 21.1% of adults with cancer reporting they were uninsured at some point in 2018, even as surgical oncology procedures alone were estimated to cost $6.7 billion in 2022.
06 · Category
Industry & Workforce8 stats
01
In 2023, there were 664,000 oncology workers in the US (BLS/industry estimates)
02
The US had 23,000 hematologists/oncologists active in 2022 (AAMC)
03
In 2022, there were 2.1 million registered nurses in the US (BLS)
04
NCI’s SEER program covers about 48% of the US population (SEER coverage statement)
05
NSQIP database includes records for 35 million+ surgical cases (ACS)
06
The US biosimilars market reached $19.3 billion in 2023 (EvaluatePharma, public summary)
07
By 2022, 90% of NCI-designated cancer centers reported using EHR-based data submission (NCI Cancer Center)
08
The overall cancer clinical trial accrual rate in the US was 7.3% in 2022 (clinical trial registry analysis study)
Interpretation
Industry & Workforce Interpretation
With 664,000 oncology workers and 2.1 million registered nurses in the US alongside a large clinical infrastructure like NSQIP’s 35 million plus surgical cases, the Industry and Workforce picture is showing a substantial, specialized labor backbone supporting cancer care while the hematology oncology physician workforce still remains comparatively lean at 23,000 active specialists in 2022.
report visual · Breakdown
Survival varies widely by cancer type and stage
Five-year relative survival rates differ substantially across cancers and stages, ranging from very high localized survival to low distant-stage survival.
97%
Median 5-year survival for regional stage prostate cancer is 97% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
3%
Median 5-year survival for distant stage pancreatic cancer is 3% (for adults diagnosed 2010–2016)
source-verifiedseer.cancer.gov2010
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). United States Cancer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-cancer-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "United States Cancer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/united-states-cancer-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "United States Cancer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-cancer-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)